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calypso-finale · 1 year ago

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Hundred Twenty Five. Part 2

The words hit me because I do know but does he know that I know, I am staring at him and he just staring at me, this is so awkward “no” it just came out of my mouth, the word no and this is what we are going to roll with “alright, just shit init. I thought she may have said something to you or something, but she hasn’t, annoying” he shook his head, I breathed out. I am so glad I said no because like, I can tell he is a little annoyed with things, I don’t want to be caught up in that at all “I know, what you going to do now? I mean she is safe though?” he is not happy “going to Ireland, I am going to see her. Be like one day thing, I will be back next day so no need to like come but I will see her. I am calm now and I do feel bad but she is going to live life like a hippie, she need to get over herself. I can’t allow her to be broke like she wants. Ok I said what I said but she ain’t broke” he shook his head “then how about you don’t give her any money or say you will, sell the home and then take that money and give her some of it? I mean I know the home is yours but then she will have that lump sum, Oakley just go there and be sincere, be sorry. She didn’t deserve the things you said, she knows she fucked up, she now she isn’t good so why say it, I get it you was angry but I am glad that you are going to go Ireland and apologise, go and see your Irish side” he grinned “my white side you wanted to say, you love my white side” I pulled a face “the genetics make me scared, you have gingers in your family Oakley, I mean ok let me be nice, they are so sweet but still. I am expecting a ginger baby to pop out” he laughed “allow it though, like I have crazy genetics though don’t I, shit is so weird. Like when you see my dad family members and the black guys in it and then everything, I just don’t know. I think it’s mental to me, because then people say I am Chinese too” smiling at him “when you smile, like when you genuinely smile, you turn Chinese and it’s so cute to me, you’re cute. That bad boy image is a façade” he pulled a face “a façade, my ass. But yeah, I read the Vogue thing, they made me sound like a whipped man and that I follow you everywhere” I sighed out heavily, I was hoping he didn’t care “how did you read it?” I am confused “oh they sent me a copy to my address, so I read it. we look so good though” I feel bad that he has.

“How did you feel reading that? Like I am not happy Oakley, and now I am not happy you read it. I was hoping you just didn’t?” he shrugged “life, I am used to it. You think the public like me. A rapper that they say cosplays as a black guy, I don’t do anything. I just mind my business. It took me so long to break the industry and even now I don’t get respect, I am used to this shit. People don’t like me so this, it’s a another one on the list but it sucks for me because it’s on Vogue, like calling me awkward but he said to you right, he goes be natural. Like if the guy could sniff your butt, he would. So like when he came to me alone, he was like be you. Being me is being mute and not speaking, he called me awkward, but he asked me if I was with you for money and why did I engage with you when young, but I said take that out, you being rude and like I got mad, so maybe he didn’t like me because I called him a dickhead too” letting out an oh “why didn’t you say to me? He was so far up my ass; he was ok with me and then you in person?” I am shocked “yeah well to you, people always treat me like shit, but it’s what it is, this industry is fake. This is why you should do shit your way; this is your mom way, and this is what happens” I sighed out looking at my phone, my mom is calling “it’s my mom, hello” I answered, “you call me back now?” she took ages “I know, I have been busy with the kids. I did read it, and I get it. They have written jibes at him, they are saying that Oakley wasn’t listening to what they wanted, and I said he does things his way, they will remove that context. It’s not public, they will remove it ok. I am just on a meeting right now but don’t worry, don’t be upset about it” I wrote such a soppy and sad message to her “ok, just please do that” I mumbled “I will, I will call you back, but I wanted to you to know that” nodding my head “ok, thanks mom” putting the phone down “she has made Vogue remove it so don’t worry about it” Oakley shrugged “I am not worried, just shit” I know it does upset him.

Aziel talks too much about himself, this boy is making sure this whole thing is about him and how he worked on his star of the week “if you keep getting this you will get a bigger surprise, the more you are good the more surprises you get Aziel, so you need to keep it up. You made me so happy; you know seeing this has made dad smile a lot and I was having a real bad day, and you made it better” Aziel is so proud of himself “I’m happy” I chuckled “yes kid, that’s it now though. Want you to keep it up” he nodded his head “big surprise for me, and dad. I help too and be good” he cooed out “good, be kind. Be better than me, love you son” Aziel dramatic ass jumped off from the chair and made his way to his dad “I hug you dad” Oakley picked him up, my son is cute when he wants to be but he is growing so quick, it’s stressing me out to see him just rapidly grow and really, the gap should be perfect for another but I want to wait it out after wedding really. That is it now, Aziel isn’t going to let go of him “you made me happy” look at my boys “how about I come back to yours after this?” Oakley said which made me laugh “mine? Is this your way of saying sex, you remember what happened last time now” he shrugged “I don’t mean to be rude now” rolling my eyes “is that the gentleman way of saying sex then?” he is laughing “what happened to your hand? You was so confident in that” he grinned “I miss you” I sighed out “what if I don’t want too? Do it?” he shrugged “I still want to come; your hands aren’t broken right?” I groaned out “of course” shaking my head “I don’t like this set up, but fine” he just wants sex.

Aziel is too clingy to his dad sometimes “wow!” Aziel spat, I didn’t want to get him ice cream, but he did good, so I had too “that’s all yours, you got to eat that” Oakley pointed saying “all for me” he grinned “we sharing though, unlocking my phone to take a picture of both my boys. Taking a picture of them both “so cute” I said to myself, tapping on Instagram and adding the picture to my story ‘proud of our son! Star of the week @centralcee’ pressing send, I am in awe of my babies “Aziel please don’t make a mess” locking my phone and placed it on the side “I’m not” I can see he will be, he is using Oakley as a seat and just jumping all over him “why you smiling like that?” Oakley caught me “erm, I don’t know. Don’t you have the studio tonight? Why are you coming to mine?” Oakley just smirked; it was the evillest smirk he’s done “erm?” I just said “I’m thinking, just thought why not” I pointed at him laughing “you’re a liar, I told you I don’t like to feel that way either. My home isn’t just for sex” he wants sex, and he won’t be open with it “I mean yeah I do want that but like you ain’t say how that bitch was” I eyeballed “son ignore me but you ain’t say, I thought we could spend some time together, bro” he waved at the waiter, now what he’s doing “yeah” this waiter been coming up and down by us for a reason “can I have like before we leave to take home, strawberries and chocolate, to take home. I can just reheat it” my face dropped, the waiter is a young guy, he just looked at me and then Oakley “why are you airing me out?” Oakley said to him, I am so embarrassed “why?” I said to him, Oakley started giggling “bro, I am trying right” I am so embarrassed “please shut up, oh my god” he’s so stupid “I am trying? Like you saying I don’t try and I do and you’re saying no, why are you red?” I am so embarrassed “you practically told him we having sex?” Oakley shrugged “I want to eat them, relax” he is a liar “you know I don’t like that, but I also rather you come to me of course” I can’t believe he did that, he’s so annoying “I’m gonna be honest with you, yeah I want to have sex” least he admitted that “but I don’t want you to feel that way either” I huffed out “and what are you going to do with chocolate and strawberries!?” I spat “eat it? Nah like we can watch a movie, Love Jones” I gasped “my favourite movie” I gushed “see I know things” he grinned so proud of himself “whatever” waving him off.

Do I go sexy or just normal, should I just not be dense and do it “man” answering the call “hello, I miss you so much Ti” I poked my lips out, I want her home already “I know I miss you too, how you feeling? I’m sad for you, like you didn’t deserve those comments well those comments about Oakley, he’s a good guy and does nothing but people come at him” shaking my head “I know mom has got it removed so, should I go sexy or not?” I asked, “what’s the event?” I chuckled “so you know Aziel got star of the week, we went out for some food. Oakley said I’ll come to yours, which he’s here but putting Aziel to sleep, but coming to mine means sex and I knew he was wanting it from when he said he was jerking off, but he knows that makes me feel a type of way like this home is just for sex, but it doesn’t matter. Should just not argue about it and have a nice evening?” I am contemplating “just enjoy the night, get spicy. Don’t do that, I don’t think you should feel like it’s just for sex” I huffed “I miss him so much in bed, just his touch. His love, but you right. Anyways enough about the drama of Rylee” I laughed “I know you better be on a flight to the premiere” I cringed “I know you’re not but just saying, anyways. I want my nephew here, bring grace. Bring Oakley, bring Wadz. Just come! I want us at the after party too, just better be here. I want my family here” I cooed out “ok calm down we will come, I actually didn’t tell Oakley but I’m sure he will come anyways, how is Damson? Not pregnant yet?” She gasped “fuck you, don’t wish that on me yet, but we good. We have seen a few houses” she said which made me yelp out “no way!? A house, oh this is deep. I love it” my sister and Damson are so perfect; I will annoy Oakley again about finding me a good man.

Closing the living room door behind me “oh look at you mr romance” he made it all cute in the living room “all ready for the movie” he made his way over to me “awww Oakley, why? I thought you was coming upstairs” he stared me down and then peaked into my robe “oh you bring kinky yeah” I giggled “nah just like I feel bad, you think I just come here for sex. It’s nothing like that honestly” he put his hands up, shaking my head and placing my hands in his “it’s fine, if you can’t come to me then who else are you going to go too?” He pulled me into a hug “I feel bad, it’s not that” I am glad he does, he squeezed me close “but Lee, I just want to ask you something” moving my head back “I asked if you knew about my mom and you said no, but I accepted that but my auntie mentioned that I should come to you, that you knew” my face dropped “I’m not mad with you but you could have just said, like you knew but why didn’t you say” well this is awkward “look Oakley the reason why is because your mom asked me to not tell you, she begged me to not tell you because you really upset her. I know that I should be on your side, but you also wasn’t being good to her, so she told me to not tell you, she said she wants to do it alone and you have to let her” I admitted, this is awkward because why didn’t he say “that’s fine, I get it. I am not mad with you but just yeah, like next time talk to me, well tell me. Come, you never said about what happened with you and Halle” he held my hand as we made our way to the corner couch “are you really not mad with me?” I am confused “I am not mad, I can’t be, my fault but you should have just said, that is all” I am shocked, but I think he wants sex, he don’t the headache also and ruin the night.

I am so happy, like I am hugging up on him, I am the small spoon and it’s been so long “ I was just finding my position my bad but, before I speak on Halle and whatever, Ti has invited you and your friend Wadz to the premiere of Snowfall she said she wants all the family there so can you come? We haven’t been back to America in a while” he shrugged “I don’t like that place, it’s always like you dating Rihanna daughter. How did that happen, like I don’t know. It happened, just shit place, shit people” I scoffed “stop it, are you going to come?” I don’t want to say for me but if I have to ask again I will say it “I will come” he smiled “awww lovey” leaning up and pressing a kiss to his lips “you didn’t make me say it every time” for once he didn’t “I guess that is family too, I have to make the effort” he will learn “so yeah, the baby is called Jamila, she is cute. Did make me feel a little broody, like I did want another but then I am like I can wait but yeah it went well, it was cute and then erm, she cried. I cried, because Oakley she hurt me. The fact she did what she did, she hurt me a lot, she told my secret, she upset you. Then she said look it’s Wyge, he has been driving me crazy about Oakley, that he lost him over me, and I think it’s been a lot of arguments and then when she saw you, she just snapped. Then she kind of got at me, to make you allow her to be close again, Lillian stepped in and said no this is on you but I think she is panicking a little, she doesn’t wan to lose me as a friend, and I am sad” Oakley is being so loving, what is happening, stroking my hand with his thumb, he is just listening to me “look I don’t want to know, like if you want to speak to her then do it but she ain’t being near me and mines, and that wedding too. Just don’t trust people too much, don’t speak on us to them. I am being cool and saying you can but out sight, she said some fucked up shit you know” nodding my head “that is fine but forget it. Can we watch my movie” this moment is too cute, I love it.

I woke up with the biggest smile on my face, and Oakley is still in bed with me “you so good” Oakley pressed a kiss to my cheek “I didn’t know you was awake, you only saying that because you’re in a good mood now” which he is “I really want this always though, Oakley please come home” it’s annoying me “I will, if I come home then you about to be pregnant with Aziel number two, I can’t keep my hands off you” he nuzzled the side of my face “but does it matter” looking behind me “it does to you, I want to really do this properly but I was really frustrated, I felt horny so I needed too” he is so clingy “the amount of times I got the I love you out of your mouth last night” we both laughed “I was climaxing, like I could see the clouds. You don’t understand how much I want to be home. I think it’s something special when it’s official, I think it’s a moment that we do it right you know. Oh man, Lee” I laughed out “fuck off” I swatted him “you can’t be turned on, turn yourself off. You should be glad Grace was over, my poor baby wanted his mom” Oakley is so serious “get that thing away from me” he wrapped his arms around me laughing “you made it worse, so you on cloud nine right now?” I asked “mhmm” he just said “let’s make a deal yeah, weekends you stay here. Then we can have more time” he stared at me for a while now “you saying?” I smirked “what you saying?” He nodded his head “I got you” this is perfect.

#Chrianna #Chrianna FF #Fanfic #Fanfiction #Chrianna Fanfic #Chrianna Fanfiction

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multifandumbmeg · 4 months ago

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I am begging, BEGGING people to understand that not everyone on the internet has seen everything on the internet that you have seen. There are algorithms. Just because the information is ON the ENTIRE INTERNET does not mean anyone with an internet connection is aware of it. ESPECIALLY celebrities. If they are ENTERTAINERS, their job is to entertain, not be a news outlet or fulltime activist- ESPECIALLY NOT AN ACTIVIST IN YOUR COUNTRY WHERE THEY DO NOT LIVE, OR EVEN SPEAK THE LANGUAGE. Just because they are aware of some social issues and have shown that they care or interacted with them, also does not mean they are aware of ALL of them because they probably do not spend every waking moment on social justice . Com pouring over every major humanitarian sociopolitical issue until their eyes bleed. "But they have a platform! They have money!!" THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE A PLATFORM. STOP TREATING THEM LIKE POLITICIANS. THAT IS NOT THEIR JOB. And as for money? Yes, it is a fair criticism if you don't like or want to support a certain celebrity because you never really see them engaging with charity or any social issue. But railing on someone and trying to cancel them for not being vocal about one specific issue? Especially right when it happened or is just reaching public awareness?? Utterly stupid self-aggrandizing bullshit. You just want to believe you're morally superior to someone.

It is FAR more important and helpful if a celebrity or rich person chooses one social issue to educate themselves on and put a lot of money and work into than making am instagram post at their PR person's behest about every single issue that arises saying "Uh, yeah, I agree with the masses. #ThisIssue".

Example: Do I trust Paris Hilton to people about global politics? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Do I trust her to educate people and work on dismantling the Troubled Teen industry? YES 100%. SHE EXPERIENCED IT FIRSTHAND, KNOWS WHAT SURVIVORS NEED, BUILT AN ORGANIZATION SPECIFICALLY TO ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE AND SUPPORT VICTIMS OF IT. She has done an excellent job using her money and influence on this issue she is well versed on.

Do I trust Nicola Coughan to talk about Free Palestine? Yes. She's from Northern Ireland and has clearly educated herself on it.

Do I trust random tiktok influencers to make content educating people on the history of the state of Israel and colonization of Palestine and Zionism vs. regular Judaism? NO. NO I DO NOT AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU. Because it is DANGEROUS for uneducated people to jump in and start spreading misinformation or harmful stereotypes and god knows what else simply because they are ill-informed and have no idea what they're saying.

That doesn't mean if you're not an expert you shouldn't engage at all. Hayley Williams is an excellent example. During the height of Black Lives Matter, she handed over her instagram account to a organization of young black women in Nashville (where she lives) and let THEM educate on the issues using her platform. I want to see more celebrities doing this if they feel strongly about an issue.

And normal people? You can uplift and share information made by well-informed and reliable sources.

With my fellow white women especially, people are constantly pointing out how their bad activism HURTS the communities they're supposedly supporting. Sticking your nose in and acting like an expert damages people and damages the movement. But in the same breath, HORDES will descend when a random white woman who makes content about any random specific niche DOESN'T speak up immediately for every major issue as it arises. Bullying Elyse Meyers off of tiktok because she didn't want to dig into fully educating herself and then speaking on Free Palestine, watching all those lovely videos of dead babies and children being blown to pieces floating around while she was candidly posting occasional update tiktoks around her short comedy sketches ABOUT HER OWN TODDLER BEING IN THE ICU HAVING MULTIPLE HEART SURGERIES TO SAVE HIS LIFE was a fucking low point. There is such a thing as extenuating circumstances.

I also came across several videos the other day shaming BTS for not participating in the BDS Boycott??? I'VE barely heard of it and I'm American. They said because someone has very recently translated it to Korean, THEY SHOULD ALL KNOW ABOUT IT. Nevermind that they are all currently on their mandatory military training with limited time off, limited access to the internet, doing their fulltime military jobs. Nevermind that the boycott is just one small fucking side niche related to Free Palestine so knowing about the genocide in absolutely NO WAY ensures you're aware of the boycott at all let alone have seen the whole list let alone have the ability to implement it.

Exhaustion from over-exposing yourself to social justice failures is a very real, very much studied phenomenon. If it applies to you, it applies to everyone. Yes, even people with money and platforms. And no, entertainers should not be held accountable for any and all humanitarian failures across the world. They should not be expected to educate on all social issues themselves. YOUR POLITICIANS ARE RESPONSIBLE, AND YOU CAN HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE BY CONTACTING THEM, PRESSURING THEM, AND VOTING. If no one's representing the beliefs you want to see in government and you're legal age, RUN YOURSELF. Even if you're unsucessful, especially in local elections, you'd be surprised to see the party closer aligned to you adopting some of your ideas and policies- they're used to have no competition whatsoever, so they're quick to adopt anything that appears popular.

TLDR: The world does not revolve around you. Your personal experience and awareness is not universal. Stop cyberbullying people for not bandwagoning things they are completely uneducated about or being too tired with all the shit they're currently going through to speak on something. And again, for the love of god, CELEBRITIES. ARE NOT. YOUR PRIMARY. EDUCATORS. Most are not primed to educate on social issues. SUPPORT ACTIVIST ORGANIZATIONS INSTEAD.

#social justice #Toxic internet culture #cancel culture

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amigosmercedes · 2 years ago

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Nothing New - Is about Dianna !

I will write the first thought and it is just brief theory. I will update when there is more tea to put on.

"Nothing New"[a] is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring American singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. Swift wrote the song in March 2012 and produced it with Aaron Dessner for her second re-recorded studio album, Red (Taylor's Version), which was released in 2021 through Republic Records.

A guitar-led folk and alternative rock song, "Nothing New" is about anxieties over romance and growing up. Music criticsinterpreted the song as Swift's message about the music industry's treatment of female musicians, and lauded the track for its production, songwriting, and the vocal chemistry between Swift and Bridgers. After Red (Taylor's Version) was released, the song reached the top 40 on singles charts of Australia, Canada, and Ireland. It peaked at number 43 on the US BillboardHot 100.

Taylor Swift's fourth studio album Red was released in 2012 by Big Machine Records. It combines country and pop with many genres, prompting media debate over Swift's status as a country artist.[1][2] The album was a critical success, ranking at number 99 on Rolling Stone's 2020 revision of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[3] By June 2021, it had sold over 4.4 million copies in the United States.[4]

Swift signed with Republic Records after her contract with Big Machine expired in 2018; the contract granted her rights to the master recordings of her music.[5] In 2019, Big Machine, as well as the master recordings of Swift's first six studio albums, were acquired by businessman Scooter Braun.[6] Swift began re-recording her Big Machine albums in November 2020, as a means to own her master recordings.[7][8] The first re-recorded album, Fearless (Taylor's Version), the re-recording of Swift's 2008 album, was released on April 9, 2021.[9]

Swift released her second re-recorded album Red (Taylor's Version), the re-recording of the 2012 album, on November 12, 2021.[10] In addition to the original Red tracks, Red (Taylor's Version) features nine unreleased "from the Vault" tracks—including "Nothing New".[11] Swift wrote "Nothing New" on an Appalachian dulcimer in March 2012 when she was 22 years old.[12] She later approached Phoebe Bridgers to feature vocals on the track for Red (Taylor's Version).[13][14]

I've been thinking a lot about getting older and relevancy and how all my heroes have ended up alone.

— Swift describing what led her to write "Nothing New", 2012[12]

"Nothing New" was produced by Swift and Aaron Dessner, the latter who recorded the instruments at his Long Pond Studio in New York.[15] Swift's vocals were recorded by Christopher Rowe at Kitty Committee Studio in Belfast, and Bridgers's were recorded by Will Maclellan at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys.[15] The song is a melancholic guitar-led alternative rock[16] and folk ballad,[17][18][19] featuring understated cello and violin.[20][21] Written by Swift, the track is about anxiety over romance and growing up.[17][22][19] In the chorus, Swift sings, "How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22?" reflecting on her growing up, and "Will you still want me when I'm nothing new?"[23] In the views of Olivia Horn from Pitchfork, "Nothing New" is not only about romantic anxieties, but also about "the music business' famously fickle relationship to young women".[19] Laura Snapes from The Guardian agreed with this idea, citing the lyric "People love an ingenue" as Swift's internalized pressure to stay in the public eye.[24] In a journal entry dated March 2, 2012, Swift wrote that the song is about "being scared of aging and things changing and losing what you have".[b]

Why Nothing New - Is about Dianna ?

Dianna fans of Phoebe Bridger. Which it is simultaneously make Taylor also promote Phoebe Bridger musics. We dont know whether Dianna got to SNL for Phoebe Bridger or Taylor Swift, or both. However, for sure VIP ticket access need come from the close person appointed by the performers on SNL.

It was written in 2012, when Taylor and Dianna were so close like pants on hip. The lyrics tell all about Dianna on Taylor's 22 song's. And why she release the song on 2021 if they are in bad terms ?Retell sweet disposition about someone while you in bad term with them is less likely. But retell sweet disposition that you are with them in good term is the more likely happens. Thats why there is possibility for Swiftgron 2.0 after 2019. See the lyrics below;

Nothing New (Taylor's Version)

Song by Taylor Swift feat Phoebe Bridger

Lyrics

They tell you while you're young "Girls, go out and have your fun" Then they hunt and slay the ones who actually do it Criticize the way you fly when you're soarin' through the sky Shoots you down and then they sigh, and say "She looks like she's been through it"

Lord, what will become of me Once I've lost my novelty?

I've had too much to drink tonight And I know it's sad, but this is what I think about And I wake up in the middle of the night It's like I can feel time moving How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22? -> 22 songs is about Dianna. Dianna is literally mentioned on Taylor's Red note And will you still want me when I'm nothing new? -> If Taylor and Dianna together again (Swiftgron 2.0), Taylor will say this to Dianna.

How long will it be cute All this crying in my room Whеn you can't blame it on my youth And roll your eyes with affеction?

And my cheeks are growing tired From turning red and faking smiles Are we only biding time 'til I lose your attention? And someone else lights up the room? People love an ingénue

I've had (I've had) too much to drink tonight How did I go from growing up to breaking down? And I wake up (wake up) in the middle of the night It's like I can feel time moving How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22? Will you still want me when I'm nothing new?

I know someday I'm gonna meet her, it's a fever dream The kind of radiance you only have at 17 She'll know the way, and then she'll say she got the map from me -> Dianna doing globetrotting I'll say I'm happy for her, then I'll cry myself to sleep -> Its like you see someone that you still love doing something without you, and happy. Oh, whoa, whoa Oh, whoa, whoa, oh, whoa, oh

I've had (I've had) too much to drink tonight But I wonder if they'll miss me once they drive me out I wake up (wake up) in the middle of the night And I can feel time moving How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22?

And will you still want me -> This is like your ex-lover asked someone to be their lover again Will you still want me Will you still want me When I'm nothing new?

#tilly #swiftgron #gaylor #taylor swift #dianna agron #kaylor #swifties #gaylor swift #sapphic #taylor nation #phoebe bridgers #saturday night live #taylor swift snl

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robert-the-greyhound · 2 years ago

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The Aftermath; Rising of the People.

The airing of "Greyhounds, Running for their Lives" was a real turning point for Greyhound Welfare Activists in Ireland. It was a literal key to a locked door we had been trying to pick with a hairpin for years. It brought to light the dark underbelly of the Greyhound Racing and Coursing Industries on a national viewing platform. Finally, the world REALLY saw the Truth.

I remember my mother calling me the day after. She was very upset, and said she had to turn the last part off due to the incredibly distressing images and videos. My mother has always been a rather sensitive soul when it comes to Animals. She'll watch a horror or slasher film where guts and blood fly but changes channel when Bondi Vet comes on as she doesn't have the stomach for it. But after watching two parts of the documentary, she was truly shaken at what was happening in this country and abroad, all off the back of her taxpayer money. I remember her saying how she had listened to me and my rants but more-so in a "that's nice honey" kind of way. Seeing everything I'd claimed on the national broadcaster platform really brought to light all the information I had previously shared.

She wasn't the only family member to reach out. Having moved across the country from my extended family years prior, I was very much outside the loop of family chattering. But uncles, aunts, cousin's, they all sent messages or called to chat about the Documentary, ask after Robert and ask what THEY as individuals could do to help. And they weren't the only ones.

Messages FLOODED into the Greyhound Awareness Cork Pages, as well as Roberts personal social media. Outraged citizens wanted to know what they could do to help. At first, we didn't really know what exactly to tell these people, messaging in their hundreds. It was like a dam had broken and flooded our little River valley of awareness events and protests. Now instead of a handful of dedicated Greyhound Activists, we had half of Cork looking to lend their voice to the voiceless!

So we organised a Rally. A march through Cork City Centre. A demonstration that we, the people, are ANGRY and won't stand for the continued systemic abuse and neglect of Irish Greyhounds.

The day of the March was incredible. Arriving on Grand Parade to see hundreds of people standing where previously only a dozen had was breath-taking. Seeing dozens of rescued greyhounds where before we were lucky to have three or four was likewise inspiring, though it once again drew to light the reality of just how few greyhounds made it out of the industry into loving homes.

Robert and I were invited to lead the way, alongside fellow greyhound advocates and rescue hounds Farloe, Molly and Cooper. There was a short speech to begin before we marched, moving up Grand Parade, down Oliver Plunkett Street and back up Patrick's Street. People stopped their shopping and joined us, or leant their support vocally, joining the chants of "There's No Excuse for Greyhound Abuse" or "You Bet, They Die". The support was truly incredible.

The one thing I remember clearly that surprised me at the time was the raw emotion. Animal cruelty always seems to strike a chord with people, but having been speaking up for Greyhounds and aware of these issues for so long before they were made public, I had started to become a little numb. There was always another case of horrific abuse. Another death on the track. Another rescue begging for help for the "take them or ill get rid of them hounds". Another dog turning up in Spain, Pakistan or China. Always more abuse, death and neglect. But standing in Cork City Centre, my best fur-iend Robert by my side, surrounded by hundreds of people yelling their support for the cause, I actually felt emotional.

The March for Greyhounds through Cork City harnessed the new found limelight brought about by the RTE documentary and the the industry and the movement even further into the public eye. There were multiple photographers trailing along the march, photographing the event. Likewise, there were news reporters, recording and streaming the march, taking interviews and asking everyone and anyone for a comment. The answers were all the same; We are here for the Dogs. The thousands of Greyhounds culled annually in pursuit of profit. The 6000 innocent lives lost every year. We are here, and our demands are clear- We want an end to the abuse of Greyhounds on the back of our taxpayer money.

The march went smoothly, with little to no hassle outside of a few snide comments from pro-racing passers-by. The morning after, our story and mission was the headline for every local paper. Photos and videos of the march were all over social media. It was a resounding success. Our first BIG event had worked out perfectly, raising awareness and pushing for an end of the plight of greyhounds.

Even the day after the march, the messages kept coming in. The public were riled up and people wanted to know what else they could do. Writing letters to local reps didn’t seem to satisfy that itch. Sharing information on social media didn't feel personal enough. People wanted to physically go out and protest, so that's what we did. We organized another trackside protest. And the turnout was phenomenal.

Previous trackside protests had been a few dozen people at a push, with a handful of dogs if the weather allowed. Now it was a highly organised event, needing high vis jackets and a team of organisers, the whole of GAC was run ragged keeping everyone in check.

That protest was an emotional one, and one of the only times we changed from a silent protest to a vocal one. It was better to organize the outrage into a single cry than try and corral the outbursts. There’s always one or two that get too riled up and start yelling “scum” or trying to spit back at those driving into the track, those few individuals who get so emotionally charged they lose sight of the end goal of a peaceful protest and lash out instead for some immediate satisfaction. To prevent said outbursts, we organized into a single cry “there’s no excuse for greyhound abuse”. Pauline McLynn once again joined us, giving a short speech which I streamed Live on Roberts Instagram for another hundred or so viewers. The support really was incredible.

And it didn’t stop there. After the initial outrage and flood of support had broken the dam, a steady river of messages and requests came in, and so began what I can only describe as the Greyhounds summer tour of Cork.

TW: #Animal Abuse #Animal Death #Dog Abuse, #Dog Death, #Drugs, #Animal Rights, #Protest

Photo Credit: Karl Kachmarksy

#Greyhound #Greyhounds #GreyhoundsMakeGreatPets #PetsNotBets #RescuedNotRetired #IrishGreyhound #GreyhoundsOfTumblr #Animal Rights #greyhoundsoftumblr #Ban Greyhound Racing #End Greyhound Racing

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louiseleblancdiggory · 4 years ago

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the last great american dynasty?

Ok...... So this is a little bit different from what I usually write but this is because it’s only the very beginning. This particular Rowan and Aelin’s story fits a bunch of TS songs, so I’ll have another part explaining their relationship since the beginning!! Enjoy this little thing tho

The Last Great American Dynasty

“Holiday house? This place looks like a tomb.”

“It has been closed for twenty years, that’s why.”

Kiara eyed her best friend, rolling her eyes at him. She knew that the mansion had been closed since her great grandma and great grandpa had died, and that no one from her family really bothered going there. Her grandma, Aurora, had spent her whole childhood in that house and when her parents passed away, it was too hard for her to move in once she inherit half of the house.

“No one from your family wanted it?”

“Not really.” Kiara replied distractedly, looking over the old furniture and paintings. “My parents passed away when I was young, and so I was raised by my grandma, but you already know all of that. When my great grandparents passed away, she was too hurt to even come back here. Granduncle Nino usually took care of everything, but I don’t think he ever stepped inside again. He died about five years ago.”

“And last year when your grandma died…”

“The house went for the last Whitethorn-Galathynius.” Kiara smiled at Gareth. “Me.”

He snorted, taking the sheets out of some tables and chairs in the house’s library. “Sometimes I forget your family is rich rich.”

“For generations. The wealth grew significantly when my great grandpa opened the GW industries and my great grandma became a famous artist.”

“Aelin Galathynius…” Gareth whistled, looking at one of the paintings. “Aelin Galathynius was your great grandmother.”

“The talent for painting certainly didn’t come from my father’s side of the family.”

“Aelin must be turning in her grave because of you comparing your shitty drawings with her beautiful sculptures and complex paintings.” Gareth joked, a saccharine smile on his face.

Kiara laughed, knowing that he wasn’t serious. Gareth had been her best friend since the first day of her freshman year in college. Now she was a junior and he was a senior, meaning that most of his time went to studying for the LSAT. Nonetheless, when Kia was notified about inheriting the Rhode Island mansion, Gareth didn’t hesitate in saying yes when she asked him to go with her.

She walked around, sweeping her fingers over the leather-bound notebooks on the bookshelf. They looked like journals of sort, and if Kiara decided to keep the house, maybe she would skim through some of them. She didn’t really knew if she would accept it, though. Yes, the house had been in the family for generations, but she also didn’t know if she wanted to come to Rhode Island and leave Pennsylvania.

Also, the house would need a lot of attention.

“She moved here at nineteen. She and my great grandpa, Rowan, eloped at eighteen and got married in Ireland. They moved here to avoid his family who was absolutely against their son marrying a snobby, rich wannabe artist.” Kiara grinned over her shoulder at Gareth. “Very scandalous, isn’t it?”

“Honestly, it explains so much about you.” He matched her grin. “Maybe being mad is in the genes of the women in your family.”

Kiara snorted, grabbing one of the small journals while Gareth took a bigger one. It looked like a sketchpad, and his eyebrows raised as he looked through it.

“I didn’t know she also drew. I knew about the painting and sculpting, but these drawings…” He murmured, looking through them with awe. Kia only half payed attention, focused on her own journal. She skimmed through it, stopping only when a photograph fell from it.

She grabbed it from the floor, eyebrows raising as she looked at it. It was black and white, even though it looked more brown because of the time. It was a woman, a small skirt and top hugging her lithe body as she rested against an old car. Her arms were spread wide, legs crossed. Kiara was almost sure that was Aelin, but she couldn’t be sure since her face had been cut. A heart shaped cut took her face and neck out of the picture, and Kiara swept her fingers along the edges of the heart.

“Where is her face?” Gareth asked, his attention leaving the skecthbook.

“In Rowan’s grave.” A female voice came from the door, and both Kiara and Gareth yelped. A red headed old woman was sitting at a wheelchair, her smile soft but not at them. At the journal and sketchbook. “He had a locket he always wore, her face was inside it. He wore since he was twenty-one when they met, and was buried with it. And you didn’t know that Aelin could draw because she didn’t do it for the public. Whatever drawing from her you find here, will be private and portray her husband.”

Kiara stared at the woman, her face familiar. However, Kia had never met her, so it was hard to remember from where she knew this woman. “You’re Evangeline. My grandma’s best friend.”

Evangeline nodded, gray strands catching the light. “Nino asked me to take care of the house after Aelin and Rowan died. Your grandma Aurora and Nino were my best friends since we were young, and the Whitethorn-Galathynius were my godparents.”

Kiara nodded silently, not really knowing what to say. Like her great grandparents, Evangeline had been someone she had never met, only heard stories.

Gareth, however, didn’t seem to have lost his words.

“How were they? I mean, everyone knows Aelin’s shameless and mad woman reputation, and Rowan’s serious businessman demeanor. Everyone knows about their tasteful and yet loud parties, about the time Aelin stole the neighbor’s dog and dyed it key lime green.” Kiara stared wide eyed at Gareth. She didn’t know he knew so much about her family’s story. Noticing her stare, he simply shrugged, turning back to Evangeline. “But how were they in private? Aelin was from St. Louis and Rowan was Scottish, weren’t they? How did the difference between cultures affect them? Were they actually in love?”

Kiara was about to tell him to shut the fuck up and stop bothering the old lady, but when she heard the last question, Evangeline smiled sentimentally. “I don’t think I have ever seen someone love another person as much as Aelin loved Rowan. Or as much as Rowan loved and worshipped her back. They both started a beautiful dynasty, and it doesn’t matter what others say about them, they adored each other unconditionally until their deaths.”

Kiara smiled a little at that. Her grandma had always told her stories about how her parents had loved each other. Since her childhood, Kiara had been looking for a love like Aelin and Rowan’s. They had eloped together in their early twenties and lived together in this house until he was a hundred and one and she was ninety eight. Aelin had died five days after Rowan passed, and although the doctors had said it was unrelated, both Aurora and Nino swore that she had died because her heart actually broke.

Swore that she had wanted it.

Had wanted to go spend the rest of eternity with him somewhere else.

Their love was too big for this life, her grandma used to say. There was no Aelin without Rowan, and no Rowan without Aelin.

“Would you like for me to tell you the whole story?” Evangeline said, approaching them.

Kiara was quiet, wondering if she wanted. Her grandma had always told her everything, but some part had been so vague…

“Our train is five hours away.” She said, taking a seat. “Why not?”

“Where shall I begin?” The old woman mused.

Gareth sat down too, crossing his arms and smiling. “From the beginning, please.”

Evangeline’s smile grew, excitement radiating off of her.

“Then from the beginning I’ll begin.”

To be continued with another TS prompt

Tags:

@in-love-with-caramel-macchiato @jlinez @courtofjurdan @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln @ladywitchling @lexflame @sleeping-and-books @annejulianneh111 @perseusannabeth @linshryver @mu-si-ca-l @camilamartinezdunne @dank-queen7 @minaidss @starborn-faerie-queen @booksofthemoon @loveofbooksandwine @jesstargaryenqueen @abookishfreak @faerie-queen-fireheart @morganofthewildfire @queen-of-glass @heirofthenightcourt @maastrash

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royalpain16 · 3 years ago

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Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech, The Queen's Christmas messages

1983 The speech discussed the new possibilities for co-operation within the Commonwealth created by modern technologies. The Queen said that travel and communication had, “entered a completely new dimension,” and the rapid development of technology had, “changed the lives of almost everyone.” She said she would like to see, “modern technology being used by poorer countries to provide employment.”

1984 The Queen spoke of the birth of her grandson, Prince Harry, and spoke of lessons which adults could learn from children. She said that for families birth was, “a time for reflection on what the future holds for the baby and how they can best ensure its safety and happiness.” She said the Commonwealth, like a child, had, “grown, matured and strengthened,” over the years.

1985 The year 1985 saw a devastating earthquake killing 10,000 in Mexico, a volcano killing 23,000 in Columbia, famine in Africa, and a plane crash off the coast of Ireland. The Queen's Christmas Broadcast in 1985 focused on the good news stories of the year, praising remarkable public achievements, with film of Investitures, at which members of the public receive their honours from The Queen, and awards for industry and enterprise.

1986 The speech featured unique footage filmed in a stable of the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace. It stressed society's responsibility towards children. The Queen said that Christmas was the commemoration of, “the birth of a child, who was born to ordinary people.” She said that the, “serious and threatening problems,” in the world would not be solved unless there was, “peace in our homes and love in our hearts.”

1987 The broadcast reflected on the importance of tolerance and forgiveness following the death of 11 people in a terrorist bomb in Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The Queen said there was no point in, “regretting the passage of time,” but, “experience should help us to take a more balanced view of events.” She said she hoped the, “Christmas message of goodwill,” would not have “evaporated” by the time Boxing Day was over.

1988 The Broadcast reflected on the explosion of an aircraft over Lockerbie in Scotland and a train crash in Clapham which killed 35. The Queen said that the star over the stable of Bethlehem has, “lit the way for all of us ever since.” She said, “the worst air crash in our history at Lockerbie and a serious train accident at Clapham,” had, “destroyed the lives of many people who were looking forward to celebrating Christmas.”

part 4

#queen elizabeth ii #christmas message #the Queen's Christmas messages #Christmas messages #Royal Christmas #brf #part 4

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facelessxchurch · 3 years ago

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Completely random question, but do you think Mevolent has some secret place (or had, before Vile destroyed Dublin-within-the-Wall) that not even the Redhoods know about, like a room at the top of a clock tower with a bed, books everywhere, tools for carving sigils, maybe some kind of magical sphere so he can monitor the World Well and wander around in it remotely, with protection sigils carved into the walls so no one knows where he is when he's there?

I don't think so tbh.

I always headcanoned that he has a special connection to nature since he is the strongest Elemental alive. He's drawing his power from nature and his understanding of it. He especially loves Irelands cold shores and sharp stone cliffs. He can’t help but to marvel those dark waves and natures terrible strength.

A clock tower would be the opposite of that, it's too industrial. And the World Well is essentially their internet, so I can't see him him using it that often. It's a useful tool, sure, but he rather let his sense wardens search it for rebellious activities instead of doing it himself like China does it. He is more old-school than she is.

His palace probably has a big workshop just for him to carve and build away and an even bigger library to read in peace. His possessions are safer in the palace and he can work undisturbed there.

However, I could see him disappearing for a few hours every once in a while to just get out of the palace. I could also see him having a few favourite spots to read or just think. But it would be in nature, sitting on a cliff overseeing the sea or leaning against a tree in the forest, perhaps near a lake where it's a little cooler in summer, reading in the shade.

Imaging being some poor mage or mortal that just stumbled over Mev while he's reading. If you can see him then he knows you're there too, so good luck lmao-

I could also see him revisiting places that are of emotional importance to him. Places where he and Sera went when they wanted to escape their duties for a bit, places he stole Nef away to to dance together after Nef had been complaining once again that they couldn't dance in public during one of the thousands of balls they had to attend to win over the upper classes.

Imagine Mev wandering through the ruins of Nef's castle, which he had destroyed in anger after his betrayal, wondering where it all went wrong. He watches nature reclaim the broken structures, pondering what could grow from ruin...

Imagine Nef returning to the ruins of his old castle hoping to retrieve an artefact that's hidden away in a secret room in the basement and thus may have survived the destruction. Unfortunately for him he ends up running straight into Mev- >:3c

#the clocktower thing reminds me a lot of the 'Thief' games tbh #Mevolent #headcanon #answered #anonymous

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exhibitionisms · 4 years ago

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& 32 | cis man | he/him — ah , callum jack , you again . we expected we’d see your { bruised knuckles tidying an expensive suit and tie } feel around these parts . on the c list for being an agent , aren’t you ? we can help with that ! for starts , we’ll need to make the strategic and sociable side of your personality shine and do something about leaving that cunning and vengeful side of yours behind closed doors . at least those jack o'connell looks might just give you a real shot . that’s if being wanted for multiple felonies in the UK doesn’t destroy you first !

tw: alcoholism, abuse, death, drugs

––– 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 .

[ * basics ! ]

full name ; callum jack jackson o’conner

nickname(s) ; cal, but mostly just callum

age ; 32

date of birth ; december 24th

zodiac sign ; capricorn

place of birth ; seattle, washington england

gender ; cis male

pronouns ; he / him

sexual orientation ; hetero

romantic orientation ; hereto

language(s) spoken ; english, irish gaelic

accent ; cockney

[ * appearance ! ]

face claim ; jack o’connell

hair color ; auburn

eye color ; blue

height ; 5″10

tattoos ; canon to jack

piercings ; ears

[ * family ! ]

parents ; ruth & angus o’conner

sibling(s) ; two older brothers and a younger sister

children ; none that he’s aware of

financial status ; upper class

––– 𝐣𝐨𝐛 .

occupation ; talent agent

since ; 1959 (eight years)

list status ; c

career inspiration(s) ; none, he prides himself on being his own role model

body of work ; he has around 15-20 clients at any given time, usually b list but some big a-listers as well. since he hasn’t been an agent long it isn’t all a-listers, but he’s helped several people move from d-e list up to c’s, b’s, and even a few a’s.

––– 𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲 .

the man hollywood now knows as callum jack was born actually born as jackson o'conner, england, 1935.

for most of his childhood, jackson was the youngest brother. when he was twelve, his younger sister was born. his eldest brother was already out of the house and the other was freshly eighteen, so for the next several years it was just he and his younger sister.

their father was an impossible drunk. he had been drinking long before they ever knew about it, having fallen off the wagon sometime after his last child was born. he'd lost his job and their mother got a job as a makeup counter girl, which caused tension because his father felt embarrassed that he 'couldn't provide' for his family despite having two boys out of the house and less mouths to feed.

the abuse wasn't frequent, but there were several instances of "callum" getting into fist fights with his father as a teenager. he got into a trouble a lot at school because he'd always been kind of a little stinker, and his rebellion only grew as he did. he began to resent his father immensely and wanted to figure out a way that he could get both his mother and his sister away from him.

so basically YEAH he did it, but at a great personal cost. he started selling drugs at just 15 years old and began saving up money. little did he know that a local kingpin would take interest in him, becoming the father figure he never had.

over the next several years callum (still known as jack at that time) raised in the ranks until he was one of the most prominent drug lords in london. he made several hidden accounts where he stored millions of dollars, completely paying for his mother to have her own home. as far as his family knew, he had interned with a booming tech company and became a developer for expensive technology.

once he had enough authority and people underneath him, callum sent a group of his underlings to rough up his dad a bit. he wasn't too happy about his twenty year old paying for his divorce and rehousing his wife and his other child right underneath his nose and needed some encouragement to walk away from the situation.

around that same time callum met a girl. i'll go into more detail about this later but she was basically soft and troubled and too good for him but saw the best in him. you can probably already see where i'm going with this huh? so they were together for several years and he wanted to marry her, but when she found out about what he really did for a living she flipped out. if he wanted to be with her, he had to get out of the drug game for good. truthfully he had enough money stored in so many swiss accounts and in secured assets that it wasn't even a hard decision. he was ready to leave it all behind.

the girl, cecilia, was originally from ireland and they were going to go there together and live under the radar. callum knew too much, and he knew for him to get out of the game he was going to have to completely disappear.

tragedy struck when an 'anonymous tip' (his dad lol still bitter and abusive) came in on him the day before he was set to leave. the feds raided his house and there was a gun fight as the couple tried to flee. a bullet meant for callum flew right past him and into the back of the woman he loved, just as she was getting into their car. he managed to lift her into the car and drive away with her. they lost the police, but by the time he got to a hospital she was already gone.

he was obviously devastated. he was wanted by the police and his picture was on every news station in the UK. that was when he decided to start a new life; using his criminal connections he was able to acquire a new identity under an assumed name, "callum jack". he moved to the u.s. and left everything else he'd ever known behind.

because of all of the wealth he had hidden, he still remains fairly wealthy.

he got into the business of being an agent by chance after befriending an up and coming starlet that reminded him of his late fiance. he wanted to protect her from hollywood, maybe subconsciously trying to make up for having not protected cecilia.

other celebrities took notice of what a good agent he was to her, and the rest was history.

over the last few years his reputation within the industry has grown astronomically. however, careful not to gain too much recognition from the public due to fear that he will be ID'ed, callum is very exclusive with his clientele. he picks them by hand and doesn't allow anyone to refer him by name to new clients.

people in the industry simply know him as 'the brit'; it's well known that pretty much anyone the brit represents is guaranteed success, but next to no one outside of his clients knows who exactly 'the brit' is -- and callum intends to keep it that way

––– 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 .

will post later!

#i made this quick cuz i'm about to go to the gym but i'll prob add more later!#biztm:intro #bio #callumbio #alcohol tw #abuse tw #drugs tw #death tw #like this if u wanna plot!

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evansfm · 3 years ago

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𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 –– 𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 .

every morning evan woke up to a london sky that refused to let the sun in ; summer was drier than spring , but the clouds seemed to linger year round . . . not that she minded . she had , after all , grown up in county dublin , where things were always a bit damp . still , the lack of COLOR could be draining . . . so she searched for it in unexpected places , creating little pockets of color for herself in a rather grayscale world . golden lights strung on her balcony , isla’s bright red hair and matching smile , an array of bright letters boasting NME lining a wall –– covers from past decades , a rainbow rubik’s cube next to her keyboard , two framed photographs perched on her desk . the first seemed like forever ago , a beaming eloise with a twin on either side ; beck on the left , evan on the right , both planting kisses on her cheek one valentine’s day years and years ago . the second was more recent , backstage at a show in galway ; kieran sat in his chair with his fingers intertwined with evan’s as she draped her arms over his shoulders from behind , chin resting on top of his curls and a smile that looked SOFT compared to the goofy one ruairi wore , looming behind her with his chin on her head . she felt warmth every time she looked at them , but there was always a tug in her stomach . . . the undeniable feeling of something missing . she found her little pockets of color , but they still seemed muted without the people she loved –– the PERSON she loved .

their schedules had begun to clash –– and evan hated the way she was beginning to get used to the dull ache of his absence . distance had been a part of their relationship for months , but the time zones were killing her . they couldn’t always make time for hours wasted away on facetime ; she couldn’t always fall asleep to the sound of his voice on the other end of the line . they were both where they were supposed to be , chasing their dreams together , separately . . . but evan was beginning to wonder if the path she was on –– the desk , the deadlines , the distance –– was actually what she WANTED . there was a lack of creative control at nme ; she was a part of a greater whole , confined to a desk when she wasn’t out in the field . she felt restless . . . bored , almost . and with her most recent deadline met and a job of her own –– evan connely , sans nme –– waiting at the end of the week , she was distracted .

“ WHAT are you doing ? ” isla popped up behind her , coming out of nowhere to look over her shoulder .

“ jesus , ” evan startled , nearly dropping the plastic puzzle in her hand , “ where t’e fuck did you come from ? ”

“ charlotte’s office . answer my question . ”

“ playing wit’ a toy , ” she held up the half solved rubik’s cube , then let out an audible sigh as isla looked unimpressed , then jutted her chin towards the computer screen , “ trying to put together a mood board for t’is gig i’ve got wit’ saint valentine on friday . ”

perfectly shaped auburn brows raised , “ we got saint valentine ? ”

“ no , ” evan’s lips lifted into the faintest smirk , “ i got saint valentine . ”

“ you’re bloody joking . shut UP , ” isla gasped , rounding to her side of the table desk , just to roll her chair around , “ and you didn’t fucking tell me ? ”

“ no , because you couldn’t keep a secret if you tried .”

“ well that’s because it shouldn’t be a fucking secret , ev . this is fantastic , ” hazel eyes widened with excitement , “ so you’re shooting them for –– . . . ”

“ t’ey weren’t too explicit about it . i know for certain i’m covering bot’ shows at t’e o2 , documenting t’e whole thing from t’e moment they get there , ” evan huffed a curl away from her face , nodding to the screen , “ and t’en a shoot on site at t’e venue . so i’ve got to work wit’ what i’ve got . i’ve got ONE chance here , and nicky haven scares t’e absolute fuck out’a me , so i can’t blow it . ”

“ nicky haven scares EVERYONE . it’s part of his charm , ” isla leaned in , making herself perfectly comfortable in evan’s space as she took the mouse and began clicking through different ideas opened on photoshop , “ let’s see what you’ve got so far –– . . . ”

“ isla , it’s not a big deal . really i shouldn’t even be working on t’is HERE , right now . it’s not exactly nme related stuff , you kn–– ”

“ i TOLD you she was here today , ” a girl called sophie , who manned nme’s front desk in the mornings , materialized on the other side of evan’s desk . a junior writer , andrew , was hot on her heels .

“ soph , now really probably isn’t the best time and it really isn’t your busi–– ”

“ someone’s got to show her , ” sophie was , admittedly , obnoxious . and coming from EVAN , that was a feat .

“ show WHAT to WHO ? ” isla’s voice changed in tone , taking on a hint of authority as she looked at andrew , “ aren’t you meant to be doing some social media research right now ? ”

“ i WAS , but –– ”

“ but we’ve found something that evan HAS to see , ” sophie . again .

“ we ? ”

“ ME ? ” evan said in tandem with isla , brows lifting as she clicked the final piece into place on the cube . she glanced over at isla and felt a strange twist in her stomach when she saw the redhead had gone rigid .

“ is this about –– ”

“ rebecca stringer , ” andrew nodded solemnly , as though evan was supposed to know who the hell THAT was .

“ better known as BEX , ” sophie added .

it was evan’s turn to go rigid . her back straightened , and it felt like ice had just been shot through her veins . truth be told , she was more worried about conflicting schedules lately . . . not the way bex sing-songed a shortened version of kieran’s name . . . or the way she answered his phone and simply couldn’t remember who evan was . . . or the way she’d made sure evan could hear her promise to personally deliver kieran to his hotel room that first night in los angeles . it wasn’t exactly PLEASANT being reminded of the instinct that she’d shut down , intuition telling her something wasn’t quite right there . her brows pinched together as the rubik’s cube slid from one hand to the other and back . she glanced over at isla with a prompting look .

“ we’re . . . doing a piece about nepotism babies in the industry , and she’s a PERFECT example of one so i was having andrew look into the way she interacts with fans and her socials and what not . she’s one of like TEN people we’re looking into , ” she explained with an apologetic look . it was then that she turned a sharp eye to andrew and sophie , “ don’t know what THAT has to do with evan , though . ”

“ see for yourself . ”

“ SOPHIE . ”

“ what ? it probably isn’t even new information for her , ” she shrugged , reaching over two monitors to hand evan a phone . twitter was opened to a profile with bex’s beaming face in the icon , but the handle wasn’t hers . she gave the pair of them a skeptical look before glancing over at isla who only offered a half - hearted shrug . it didn’t take long to see what , exactly , sophie had been talking about , a slew of tweets and retweets .

bexupdates : bex & kieran pulled up to the venue together . . . and then left at the same time . why are they lowkey so cute annathefound : not bex wearing a baby tee version of the found’s merch . . . stanning her boyfriend just like the rest of us

ruairidailyposts : ok wait are evan & kieran even dating anymore bc i could be down with a bex & kieran moment cheerupbailey : @ruairidailyposts you know two people can have a relationship without posting about it right ??? they’re in separate countries rn lol

babybexxx : i just think that bex & kieran walsh as a power couple .

bxhq : no offense but bex is simply so much better for him than some rando from ireland like what thefoundupdates : @bxhq babes they LITERALLY grew up together ????

totallyconan : be honest do u guys think the reason evan isn’t on tour with them is bc they’re not together anymore like she literally never misses shows

adamfitzupdates : why are y’all so obsessed with a relationship that doesn’t concern you ??? chill bexlevitates : @adamfitzupdates bc it’s weird that evan knew him for so long and only started dating him AFTER the found started to get big like that’s shady

bexupdates : find someone who looks at u the way bex looks at kieran on stage wtf did y’all see that

newruleshq : no waaaay this man has a gf when he and bex look so good next to each other LMAO

thefoundupdates : according to the girl who wrote the article kieran literally WALKED OUT on the interview ??? rockstar behavior but also hope he’s ok

evan could’ve kept scrolling for hours as her heart rate began to rise and rise . the crease between her brows deepened , and she reminded herself of everything she knew to be true . kieran LOVED her . twitter was a BRUTAL place . it was as though the worst parts of her subconscious had come to life in 280 characters or less . her head began to swim as her heart sank into her stomach .

“ what does t’is –– . . . ” her voice cracked , and she cleared her throat , finally looking up from the phone screen , “ why , exactly , are you showing me this ? ”

sophie looked as though she was shocked by evan’s question , “ because i’ve dated musicians . . . and like HALF of those are in bex’s likes . which are public , by the way . just doesn’t seem subtle to me . ”

“ are you trying to insinuate something here , sophie ? ” her tone shifted , irritated as she handed the phone back .

“ like i said , i’ve dated guys in bands , too , and –– ”

“ enough , ” isla snapped , “ you’re sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong . BOTH of you should be off doing your jobs right now , so , run along . ”

both of them scurried off without a word .

evan was still for a moment , but her fingertips were itching for the keyboard . she was no stranger to things like this , unkind words from strangers who didn’t LOVE the idea of her –– despite not knowing her . the good outweighed the bad on the internet , but the voices who didn’t like her were always the loudest . even BEFORE she and kieran had gone public with their relationship . . . even before they were ever in a relationship at all . over time , she’d learned to tune it out and focus on the kindness that flooded her comment sections and mentions . . . but every now and again something slipped through the cracks . . . and when they did , she absorbed them like a blow to the abdomen . they settled into her memory and cemented themselves there , tucked away until they found the perfect moment to make her self conscious . like the fan who had commented on the shape of her body before and after going to uni . . . and another from galway who made it their business to let everyone know she’d slept around while living there . . . and every time someone said she wasn’t good enough for kieran or any of them . that she had bad intentions , leeching onto the boys for fame . that her career was based SOLELY on the four of them .

if she caved and kept scrolling , she’d commit it all to memory . . . everything that made her intuition about bex STRONGER .

instead , she launched forward and snatched the rubik’s cube back up , immediately distorting its perfect faces and mixing it up again . it was good to keep your hands busy , she knew , when your mind began to run away .

the worst of it wasn’t even TRULY comments about their relationship . . . those hurt , but they didn’t sting quite as bad as real - time updates about kieran and bex showing up or leaving venues together . she dulled the pain by reminding herself that THREE other boys were never too far behind . that kieran would never . . . COULD never . . .

but then again , there was the tweet that weighed heaviest in her mind . kieran walked out in the middle of an interview , and he hadn’t told her . something rattled him to the point of his version of an outburst , and he hadn’t told her . that seemed like something he would have told her . . . it seemed important enough , she thought to herself , right ? RIGHT ?

her throat felt tight , and she kept running the tweets she’d read over in her mind . there was a deep furrow in her brow as she looked down at her hands , still vehemently mixing up the toy . something felt off kilter . . . but she couldn’t pin down which hurt more : the slew of tweets from people pretending to know what went on in her relationship . . . or the thought of kieran doing something as rash as storming out of an interview –– and then not telling her .

“ i didn’t know about t’e interview bit , ” she said quietly , eyes still trained on the colorful cube . she was certain her face was the opposite , color drained .

“ evan –– . . . ”

“ it’s fine , ” she said firmly , “ it’s probably not true . just like t’e rest of it isn’t true . ”

her voice sounded distant . . . and she wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince isla or HERSELF . clearing her throat again , she set the toy back down on her desk and scooted towards the computer .

“ i’ve got work to do , ” she said quietly , getting back to the monitor . though all she wanted to do was go home . how many more people thought that she wasn’t GOOD ENOUGH for kieran ? how many people thought someone like bex was a better fit ? how long would it take for the suggestion to become potent enough to make the people who KNEW them question it as well ? and if kieran had walked out of an interview , WHY hadn’t he told her ?

she glanced down at her own phone screen , hoping that maybe she’d missed a text or a call . . . but all she got was nothing . nothing but the words she’d seen written down , now cemented in her mind : bex is simply so much better for him . . . because SHE was there , wrapped up in the same world he was in . she was accessible . immediate . beautiful .

and evan was stuck in london with nothing but time to wonder .

#idk what to taaaag it

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pleasantwizardphilosopher · 3 years ago

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Here it is! Chapter 2 of my current fic, based on the first one. Here I explore Lena's past.

Lena always wanted to help, even when her whole family acted otherwise, she wanted to do good. She had been adopted by the Luthors at the young age of 4, and before that, well, there wasn’t much, she had already forgotten her birth mother’s face, all that was left was warmth and melodic birdsong-like voice, soft, gentle, and caring in a way she’d soon forget, and a light smell of lavender and cotton. Her mother drowned, she is still not sure how that happened, one instant they were both on the shore of the lake, laughing and playing with the sand, the next moment it was all splashing sounds and bubbling, then, nothing. No scream, no cries, the green-eyed girl never cried and never mourned.

When she arrived at the Luthor Manor for the first time she felt how the cold halls and whispering air took an enormous spot on her heart and body, cold ice climbing up her nerves and settling as a cold hand on her skin. That feeling never went away. Her stepmother, Lillian only took one full look at her, from her small school-girl shoes to her loose raven hair and forest-green eyes and decided she hated her and would make the little girl’s life a living hell. She never broke her self-promise. She started right away, throwing her stuffed teddy bear, which still had her mother’s scent, to the trash and forbidding her to take it out. Even going as far as to send her to a boarding school in Ireland for most of Lena’s education. Lena always learnt fast, she was a certified genius after all, and learnt to control her reactions, her expressions and to lock up her emotions deep within her mind every time those ice-cold blue eyes looked at her as if she was worth nothing, every time a seething instruction came out of those fine lips, or when they turned into a disgusted scowl towards her. Lillian will never know but she helped build those two very opposite sides of Lena, the cold, calculating and rehearsed woman, and whoever Lena might be like on the inside, when no one is watching.

Actually, it was all of them, who help built Lena like that, cold, controlled, manipulative. Putting in place slowly every brick that would ultimately represent their own destruction (which she hadn’t planned, obviously).

Lionel always cared for her, in his own “here’s money” way, and loved (?) her, she’ll never really know that hell, are Luthors even capable of love? He was a first, that day in her new foster home, after the rescue teams and paramedics managed to untangle little Lena from the cold, lifeless body of her mother, hours after someone had finally noticed the bright green-eyed girl staring fixatedly and intently into the lake. Hours after rescuers and search parties came and dug her mother’s body out of the lake, blue-ish and stiff; he came into the house as someone used to be the most powerful person in the room, he stood tall as his lawyers arranged everything for Lena to go with him. She’ll never forget his eyes, cold, measured and absolutely broken, he smelled like fine tobacco, ironed clothes, and expensive vodka. The Irish girl didn’t know it, but that day Lena Kieran died, and Lena Luthor was born.

Her father did love her, or so he endlessly sore, albeit it definitely didn’t seem like it every time he got home drunk (asshole). It was, fortunately, easy to predict, most days dear Father would come home taking full swings from a very expensive whiskey bottle. It usually happened after a successful expansion, board meeting or launched project, however, other times, he seemingly just wanted to get lost, to run away from the ghosts that plagued his mind. The first signs of his arrival were the roaring engine of his sports car, roaring fiercely as the driver lacked control, almost pushing it through the front double doors. Then, after the front heavy wooden doors were closed behind him by some unfortunate staff member, the scent of sweat, saliva and booze would fill the hallways, a telltale of fear. The first time it happened, she was 5 years old and she didn’t know why Lex and Lillian had suddenly disappeared, so, she went straight to daddy, who had just arrived. Sure, he smelled sour, and his blue eyes were unfocused, glassy, but who could blame her for wanting her father’s attention? When he lifted his hand she innocently and naively thought he was going to lift her, that illusion shattered the moment his ringed hand found her cheek. The stinging pain she felt was drowned down by the hollow sound it made, like broken porcelain, fear squeezing her lungs, taking every breath from them. Tiny drops of splattered blood prickled her white blouse and light green skirt, dripping slowly from her split lip, and she prayed for someone to come rescue her. The air around them stilled, a strong smell of iron filling the hall. Just when he was about to get his second hit, with the back of his hand this time and the full blow of his rings, Lex pulled her away and dragged her to his room, far from Lionel’s grasp, her hero.

After that fatidic night her half-brother Lex, short for Alexander (how sweet), took her under his wing, teaching her everything he knew, he was the only member of the Luthor’s household who actually made her feel welcomed. Their sibling’s relationship started off easy and innocent, with Lex teaching her how to play chess, where she proved her superior ability for the game. Astonished by her abilities and smartness, Lex pulled her into more of his projects, lending her philosophy and physics books, challenging her mind, becoming her mentor, always pushing her harder. Always praised by her older brother, Lena got to overcome great problems and let her bright mind loose, coming up with revolutionary ideas and theories that Lex let her test out in his lab, by his side.

And by his side she designed many innovations that would potentially revolutionize bioengineering and medicine. Her first grand scale development was a first-aid drone, which could be programmed to arrive on site in less than 5 minutes, providing immediate help to people in need with precious extra minutes and allowing medical experts to control it remotely, giving first-instance attention to severely injured people. Its main use was car accidents. She also realized significative advances in cancer research, with nanoparticles and DNA targeted vectors. However, she also worked doing important scientific theorizing and advances with inter-dimensional travel and near-light’s speed travel, she was a certified genius after all, and could understand advanced physics as if it were a kid’s game. It was this particular work that got her giving a magistral conference during an important science colloquium. She was at her first year of PhD studies, after getting a Master’s Degrees from MIT (studied simultaneously) at the surprising age of 20, making people in scientific communities and media outlets go insane.

In that particular fair she crossed paths with several bright-minded people. There were amazing projects, as the one from a South African guy, who theorized that Tesla coils could be supercharged and employed as main power sources for industrial plants. Listening to the guy speak, adding a few helpful comments here and there, as was expected from the genius green-eyed woman; she overheard a couple of investors talking about a water purification system based solely on solar radiation. She was stunned, from what she heard of the project it could be built in series with minor costs and given at an extremely low cost to the general public. An action plan was already being envisioned in her mind, and if her numbers were correct (they always were), the overall fabrication cost would be of five dollars, selling it at seven dollars each unit would represent great profits, simultaneously making the product available for anyone anywhere in the world. She needed to see that. She needed to help them help others, as it was her wish.

She wouldn’t get to see said mind-blowing project though, as the conference she was going to give attracted more attention than previously thought, she had to get together with the staff earlier than planned in order for them to place some microphones on her person and put on a little camera-adequate make up on her face. While she was with that, several TV-screens were placed outside the venue’s auditorium for everyone to watch. Lena thought they were overreacting. She was wrong (gladly). Her conference blew out the auditorium’s capacity as nearly everyone present wanted to hear about her work, there were a few narrow-minded colleagues that tried to throw her off-balance with ironic and physically impossible theories and enquiries and a few others where there just to ogle her. However, most of them were there to marvel at her intelligence and praise her brilliance. By the end of the conference, she was quickly ushered towards a waiting car, she had received a call from Lillian that she was needed in Metropolis as soon as possible, dear father had died (such pity) from a heart attack and Lex would take over LuthorCorp.

When Lex lost his mind, she was also there, by his side. This time, unlike the many other moments she had spent next to him, she didn’t feel safe, nor free, she didn’t feel anything. There was only silence. If the world had stopped spinning right at that instant, Lena couldn’t tell. And then all noises came rushing back, like a tsunami, flooding her mind with unbearable hurt, making her throat close and her fist clench on the armrests in a desperate attempt to ground herself. His breath smelled like vodka, a nasty habit they both had taken up from Lionel, drowning their feelings, he was laughing madly, extremely loud, splitting saliva everywhere, as he told his baby sister about his mass-murder, race-wiping, plan to end Superman and all aliens on Earth. He went on and on, about how other races didn’t belong there and how humans like him (fucking psychopath) had been chosen to protect Earth, he was a savior you see (he wished). Lena wasn’t entirely listening, as her body started to get numb both from being tied to a chair and from the endless hurt and betrayal she was feeling. Her brother, the only truth she knew, the only one who always stood by her, defending her from Lionel’s worst and standing by her on Lillian’s best. Who supported her scientific quests, no matter how out of the box and unlikely they were, who held her in his arms until she felt asleep that first time Lionel hit her, rocking her softly and humming a slow melody, who gave her every book she loved. And now he was gone. The only trace left from her loving brother was his face, now twisted in a scowl almost beyond recognition. At that moment, everything Lena Luthor had built herself to be broke apart.

The FBI freed her hours later, hours from listening to Lex’s xenophobic world-domination plan. By the time they managed to hold Lex down, her tears had already dried on her face, the only trace of them being the mild light grey marks on her cheeks, where they rolled endlessly while she begged her brother to stop and come back to her, and her smeared mascara, from rubbing her eyes with her shoulders in a futile attempt to stop new tears from streaming down her face. The raven-haired woman could only listen above the piercing ringing in her ears, not minding the FBI’s questions, nor her lawyer’s. She felt empty, truly empty, up to a level where the pain seemed to have rooted into her bones and muscles, making her slow and heavy, filled only with sorrow. Just as the man being taken away was Lex’s shell, the brother who loved her and whom she admired; she had now become a shell of her own. Broken beyond recognition, irreparably, the same way glass shatters under a hammer.

She got to her apartment and packed a bag; she didn’t even need to think about it, she grabbed her most important necessities and threw them carelessly into a suitcase, closing it without even bothering to verify its contents. Calling a car to pick her up and telling Jess, her new assistant, to get the board members of LuthorCorp and her personal jet at the ready, as there were modifications that needed to take place at that moment. Without looking back, she strode out of her apartment directly into her waiting car, it took every ounce of her willpower for her not to simply run towards traffic and fling herself to the first taxi in sight. That definitely wasn’t what was expected from her, the new CEO of LuthorCorp since she was next in the succession line after Lex. Feeling her mouth go dry and the huge lump in her throat tighten at the thought of her former half-brother, she instead focused on the road to her private hangar.

Taking two Advil with a generous amount of scotch (thank you very much) she stated for the nth time to her investors why she was moving LuthorCorp’s headquarters to National City (breathe Lena), the company needed a fresh start after everything her blood had done with it, particularly a bald someone she used to know; the throbbing of her head getting worse every instant as those old white misogynists debate her ability to rule the company, as newly promoted CEO. After several more excruciating back and forth arguments her decision was accepted, and it definitely had not anything to do with the ice-cold fear that had settled in her lower back and lungs after that day’s events, nor with the horrors she saw every time she closed her eyes.

She needed a fresh start, one that allowed her to never look back, and so she did, she moved to National City, getting a penthouse in the highest building in the city, she never thought about it, she never regretted it, and furthermore, she never looked back. Not even after the moving company left all her belongings in her new home and she found a picture of her and Lex smiling, not when she first got rid of everything that reminded her of her Luthor upbringing, not when she finally cried herself to sleep, two days after arriving in the new city, two days which she spent napping for less than 20 minutes as the nightmares of her insane brother haunted her, holding her tears back with bench-press strength. She didn’t. And she didn’t regret it, as it was the least she could have asked for after the experience she had lived, seared in her mind and marked in her skin in the shape of dark red lines around her wrists and ankles, bruising slightly. As she unconsciously rubbed her left wrist softy, looking out to the city, seeing the sun rise, bringing with it the soft smell of baked bread and coffee, she thought that maybe this is where she was meant to be after all. Maybe she could forget.

Let me know your thoughts.

You can read both chapters on AO3

#supercorp #lena luthor #karlena #i am supercorp trash #supergirl #kara danvers #i wrote this on a whim #lillian is a bitch nothing new there #kara x lena #lena luthor need a hug #maybe two #this is raw y'all #please give me feedback #lex went insane again

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hpc-media · 4 years ago

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The Daily Prophet’s

2020 Supreme Mugwump Candidate Profile Guide

July 24, 2020

Learn about the candidates for Supreme Mugwump and see where they stand on key issues with The Daily Prophet’s 2020 Supreme Mugwump Candidate Profile Guide.

With the large number of candidates campaigning to become the next Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, it can be difficult to distinguish various candidates from one another.

To assist readers in finding information about the candidates in the 2020 Supreme Mugwump Election, The Daily Prophet has produced a Candidate Profile Guide.

All candidates were given the opportunity to submit a brief statement to let voters know about themselves and their platforms. The view and opinions expressed in the statements are those of the candidates and do not reflect the position of The Daily Prophet.

Ivanna Verynhora, age 34, is one of the youngest Delegates the ICW has seen out of Ukraine. Since Muggle unrest in the region took the life of the previous representative of Ukraine, Delegate Neschadymenko, Ms. Verynhora has taken upon herself to strengthen Ukrainian ties with the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Russia, Spain, and South Korea. An alum of the world-renowned Beauxbatons, Ms. Verynhora was an exemplary student with talents in charms and healing, which she put to use during the 2013 Ukrainian Crisis. With her mastery in Healing magic, she went on to found the ICW’s Committee for Cross Boundary Healers, inspired by the Muggle organization Doctors Without Borders. Funded anonymously—by whom is unclear at this time, but many believe them to be international banking financiers—the committee has expanded into the Middle East, South America, and the United States and Canada. She currently serves on the Committee for International Quidditch and the Committee for International Magical Transportation. Much of Ms. Verynhora's time is spent strengthening Ukraine and little time at ICW meetings or the committees she belongs to—which is to be expected, as the Ukraine has has experienced extreme changes in its government for the last five years, and several turnovers within the Ukranian Ministry, including the loss of Ivannas's late uncle, killed last spring during the Centaur & Giant Uprising in the northern part of the country.

Despite these tragedies, both personal and nationally, Ivanna hopes that the esteemed title of Supreme Mugwump will be but a stepping stone to her larger goal of facilitating a younger, more progressive, stronger ICW focusing on international ties and bonds between countries for the purpose of mutual aid.

Sitara Noorani, age 35, is one of the most accomplished witches of her age. A graduate of the esteemed school Uagadou, she moved quickly after her schooling to join the Pakistani Ministry of Magic, working with their Control of Magical Creatures division before transitioning into politics to succeed her elder brother in the Pakistani Senate. Since joining the ICW only 3 years ago, she has had notable success in working with Being Outreach as well as in addressing illegal creature movements and breeding across borders in partnership with the Rangers. She has found a friend in Delegate Baptiste, who shares her passion for preventing cross-border illicit activities, and together they have drafted new international law addressing the issue.

Noorani has only this to say about the upcoming election cycle: “We must continue to strengthen border security across the world, increase education about culture between wizards of all enclaves, and continue monitoring illicit activity among the lower echelons of our society.”

Continuing the procession of younger Delegates tossing their names in the ring for the title of Supreme Mugwump, Estefania Caldera, age 32, comes from one of the largest and most powerful pureblood families in the Caribbean, with branches in Mexico, California, and Brazil. The rising star of the Caldera family, Estefania attended Castelobruxo alongside fellow Caribbean Delegate and classmate Horacio Baptiste—and took special interest in the subject of Magical Eco-Tourism. Her subsequent specialization in the field and her time in the Cuban Ministry for Magic have prepared her to help bring economic prosperity to her region through her practice. Though young, she must not be underestimated by her peers. She has already forged strong connections with the Caribbean, Brazilian, Venezuelan, and Peruvian Delegates, creating a Committee around revitalizing tourism in these regions while highlighting their natural beauty and working closely with Indigenous communities to preserve and celebrate their heritage.

Caldera says about her candidacy for Supreme Mugwump, “Though I am young, I am not without passion for both Cuba and the magical world at large. For too long, we have idolized industrializing and militarizing our magical nations, but I am calling for peace and for a new age of magical understanding shared by all.”

Horacio Baptiste may be known for his booming voice in ICW meetings, his Caribbean Pride, and his ability to cross the many committee aisles of Nations across the world, but he is more than the handsome face many purport him to be. An alum of Castelobruxo, he first rose to prominence as an Auror for the Commonwealth of the Caribbean Islands. Baptiste’s ambitious track record as an Auror soon gave rise to something far more momentous, as his public image transcended his official title and Baptiste became known as something of a folk hero at the tender age of 24 during his 2010 run for President of the Caribbean Commonwealth. While Baptise lost with grace, he was subsequently offered a position on the ICW with an aging Delegate Ocasio-Cortez’s blessing. As the first-ever Muggleborn elected by the Commonwealth, Baptiste’s position as the Caribbean ICW Delegate is considered boundary-breaking by many. He has not only risen to expectations—he has shattered them. Currently, Baptiste sits on the Committees for International Magical Transportation and International Committee for Human Trafficking and Dark Wizard Tracking, and is a proponent for sanctions against magical nations for Human Rights Violations and Dark Magic Violations. Though only 34, Baptiste has garnered the respect of many other Delegates, and has contributed monumentally to the ICW’s efforts at lowering crime internationally, in collaboration with the Rangers and Delegate Caldera.

Baptist maintains no comment at this time beyond: “I am entirely too busy to talk about the Supreme Mugwump Election. Bother someone who wants to play nice with the press and has less work to do than me. They’ll be easy to find— go ask the Delegate from Sweden.” Fighting words from everyone’s favorite fighting Caribbean.

What more is there to say about Delegate Lyra Arista that she has not already demonstrated over her many years of service to the ICW? Elected to the ICW in 1958 at the age of 21, she was the youngest Delegate ever elected in America, and has only continued to be a trailblazer in her 62 years of service. Delegate Arista proved to be a powerhouse while helping create the Human Rights Act for Magical Folk, and she has been a vocal proponent for Natural Magic (or Wild Magic) and expanding Magical education across the globe. Arista is renowned for her magical masteries over charmwork, transfiguration, healing, alchemy, and potions. One of the most esteemed graduates of Ilvermorny, Arista’s been a bastion of the ICW, admired cross-generationally. In America, she has been a proponent for Being rights and education, and has helped expand the LGBT+ movement for equal rights in collaboration with Muggle political allies. In the 90's, Arista advocated to expand magical education access to American magical immigrants, refugees, and the Indigenous population. Her election to Supreme Mugwump would only be a footnote to the aggressively progressive acts she is known for.

Lyra Arista says about the upcoming election, “I am old, and though I have much to offer to the ICW as its leader, it would not surprise me if someone younger takes my place. But I have done my work for over 50 years, and if elected I will do so for another half-century, as is my duty to magical folk across America the Beautiful and Earth the Magnificent. Blessed be.”

Cyprian Patenaude has been nothing but a joy to the ICW Delegate circuit. As the newest ICW Delegate, at the age of 30 they are well-loved and well-known in the Western Hemisphere, having attended both Ilvermorny and Castelobruxo. Patenaude became a rising star in the Canadian Senate for Magic, elected from his home city of Montreal in 2013 through a grassroots campaign after leading several organizations concerned with underserved magical communities, championing early magical education, and combating Auror brutality. His ties to MACUSA through the Patenaude family helped to establish several laws concerning magical secrecy within the United States and Canada. In addressing political unrest in both regions, Delegate Patenaude became a familiar face in the media through his regular attendance at rallies and protests. On the subject, then-Senate member Patenaude said, “It's not political grandstanding that got me to this position, it is empathic standing, with people both magical, Being, and Muggle. I am not doing this for political clout. It is the right thing to help where you can, ease tensions, and create a better atmosphere for healing.” Delegate Patenaude would know a thing or two about healing after having been viciously outed as transgender by American political opponents and instigators. Patenaude took this in stride, advocating fiercely to expand Canadian magical law for privacy protection, and he was elected to the ICW by the Candian government shortly thereafter in 2018. He often jokes that his efforts in this realm are for his own safety, as there have been no less than three attempted assassinations since the debacle.

Patenaude is a proponent for Being rights, de-militarization of Aurors, blocking illicit animal sales, and raising awareness around LGBT+ issues among magical communities. Though young, Patenaude is respected by his opponents due to his gregarious ability to broker deals and swiftly end infighting in committees. Like Delegate Baptiste, Patenaude has no comment at this time, likely owing to the fact they are currently occupied dealing with political unrest in the Canadian-American district of the world.

Readers have always been fascinated by Delegate Sergio Gutiérrez, who, while proud of his long and unbroken ancestral wizarding line, quite frequently shocks the stately old families of British wizarding society with its high civility and careful social graces. After completing his formal education at the Madrid School Of Magic and Durmstrang Institute, Gutiérrez made Keeper for the Barcelona Eagles, prior to the Spanish Quidditch Association (AQE) and the Catalonian Quidditch Association (AQC) split. While amassing a large fan following with his record-breaking, jaw-dropping saves and daring high-speed maneuvers, Gutiérrez discovered his ability to attract support for political issues and a passion to change lives through his advocacy. Critical to Gutiérrez’s successful transfer into politics was the convergence of several crises within the Spanish wizarding community, which slashed public faith in the current Delegate’s ability and the wizarding political class. These events presented an opportunity for Gutiérrez to prove himself a skilled manueverer both on and off the Quidditch pitch. In addition to tapping into widespread discontent with political elites, Gutiérrez also strongly advocated for a retreat from Spain’s involvement with international affairs to focus on its own issues. At age 51, Gutiérrez, who considers himself a self-styled political outsider among his fellow Delegates, still leads a very public life (one may recall the ongoing investigation into whether Gutiérrez converted campaign funds to rather scandalous personal use in 2019), and can always be counted on for his transparent stance on issues and his commanding approach to diplomacy—in particular, his meteoric clashes with Cyprian Patenaude. To detractors, he’s a dangerous cheerleader for an insular and traditional wizarding community at both a national and international level. To supporters, he is one of the only Delegates with a strong and loud enough voice to bring about real change and unity.

On the subject of the Supreme Mugwump election, Gutiérrez said, “What I know is that people are tired. Tired and pushed beyond their limit by the demands of this new ‘modern’ wizarding world, as they say, and its politicians that push policy after policy for this new group and that new group down their throats while ignoring our real, shared issues…we have forgotten that in our history there are simple answers to complex problems.”

For Delegate Kotov, age 40, his personal life is his political life. As a young man, Kotov attended Durmstrang to study martial magic for a brief time, withdrawing the same year the institution began to admit Muggleborns and part-goblins under the leadership of Headmaster Matvey Golovin. Kotov’s parents then began his private homeschooling, although many have long speculated Kotov was in fact transferred to the secretive Scholomance to complete his education. Proud of his centuries-long wizarding heritage, and regularly extolling the values of fraternity, tradition, and legacy in his speeches, Kotov is a man who has never forgotten his past while keeping his eye firmly fixed on the future. During his homeschooling years, a group of vampires newly displaced by a freshly implemented Romanian policy attacked and killed Kotov’s childhood friend. The event, followed by sluggish and failed attempts to capture the vampires, left Kotov with a resolve to shake the wizarding world out of its stupor concerning dark creatures. Kotov would work at the Romanian Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for all of six months before quitting; during that time it was his capture of infamously “uncatchable” vampire Sebastian Vântu which catapulted Kotov to international recognition. After resigning, Kotov pivoted immediately into politics, championing an increase in international private and public security for the wizarding world, and pledging to tackle magical creature-related violent crime rates and threats to the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy by cracking down on criminal offenders and allowing Aurors greater freedom and less government oversight. Despite his colleagues’ voiced concerns that his actions may cause further breakdowns in negotiations between the ICW and sentient magical creatures,

Kotov remains sanguine and determined about the future, though he has some choice words to offer about his fellow Delegates in advance of the upcoming election. “They have no idea what they’re dealing with,” Kotov said grimly, in his statement last Tuesday. “Half of them are idiots who follow Patenaude and his kind–magical creatures are just like us, etc, etc.—and half of them are people like Arista, heads stuck in another century and no idea how to deal with the growing number of strikes and crime rates among the magical creature communities. Either way, while the ICW tries to negotiate and sits in committees, their numbers grow and the violence continues—and something is better than nothing.” It’s a tricky dilemma he raises, and one the magical community has conveniently avoided answering head-on, though Kotov has received campaign funding from many old, well-known wizarding families that suggests he has their support.

Serving his freshman year on the ICW at a shocking 22 years of age, Sven Nordstrøm is the fresh face of Swedish international politics whose influential family name precedes his appointment to the Confederation. The Nordstrøm family have for centuries stood tall (and no, we’re not just referring to their statuesque genetics) as pillars of traditional wix values in the Scandinavian region, with generation after generation passing the political torch on from father to son. Delegate Nordstrøm’s own brother, Gunnar Nordstrøm, is a favorite to take over for current Swedish Minister Engström at the end of his term, which has led to speculation regarding the young Delegate’s novice appointment over Gunnar’s notably more cultivated experience and presence in politics. But don’t write off young Sven just yet! He may thus far be known in delegation meetings for his looming, mountain-like presence and choice few words, but Delegate Nordstrøm has a few tricks yet up those long sleeves, making several controversial statements and voting decisions without any predictable formula that seem to go against every ideal his political platform was built around. Are the boy’s wildcard antics toward shock and awe a crafty plot to attract favor and attention to his icy, old-fashioned country? Or is Delegate Nordstrøm simply having the last laugh at us all?

When asked for a comment, Nordstrøm just had this to say: “And why the [expletive] would I tell you anything? Who even are you?” Who indeed. We’ll be following Delegate Nordstrøm at the upcoming conference with keen interest.

As recognizable in the society papers as he is on the delegation floor, Atticus Ayers has been an asset to British-French wizarding political relations for upwards of twenty years. Savvy local readers will surely recognize Ayers from his meteoric post-Hogwarts rise through the ranks of Britain’s own International Magical Office of Law, or perhaps from his brief but memorable five-year stint as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, during which time Ayers garnered widespread respect and adoration as a moderate judicial voice amongst the uproarious radicalism and reforms that swept through the Ministry of Magic following the Second Wizarding War. After presiding over a number of landmark Wizengamot proceedings, Ayers settled in the magical district of Montmartre in France with his family, but he’s been a staple French Delegate since day one, where he’s continued his campaigning for Being equality as well as amendments to the Statute of Secrecy in favor of privacy and protection of magicfolk, their livelihoods, and their assets.

Nowadays, Delegate Ayers is known throughout Europe for throwing outrageous fundraisers in support of the causes he’s backing, with some of the most famous faces in the international magical community making regular appearances. Some may raise brows at Ayers’ “party for politics” methodology, but there’s no arguing that beauty, popularity, and a knack for entertaining are powerful tools when it comes to reaching the upper echelon of magical folk with the means to enact change.

The Daily Prophet will continue to run extended profiles of candidates and bring you updates on the September 9th election.

#The Daily Prophet #july 2020 #international confederation of wizards #supreme mugwump

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New British TV Series for 2021: BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky Dramas and More

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Among the detective dramas and high-stakes thrillers due to arrive on British television in the next year or so, there are a clutch of sci-fi, supernatural and horror shows also coming our way. They include Sky One’s Intergalactic – the story of a wrongly imprisoned galactic pilot who breaks out of space jail with a gang of other high-security female prisoners – and Netflix’s fantasy novel adaptations Half Bad, Cuckoo Song, Lockwood & Co.,and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – respectively, tales of witches, supernatural pacts, ghost-hunters, and a woman who jumps between bodies in her quest to solve a murder mystery. Coming to terrestrial TV, there’s Life After Life and The Three, stories about living multiple versions of the same life, and the miraculous child survivors of a mysterious plane crash.

On top of that, there’s plenty of true crime, a new Sally Rooney adaptation for fans of Normal People, and the latest from TV genius Russell T Davies. Find out what’s coming from the UK in 2021 and beyond below.

We’ll keep this list updated with new commissions and as casting details and release dates are confirmed.

Around the World in 80 Days (tbc)

Filming began in South Africa on this new eight-part adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel in February 2020, and was halted in March by Covid-19 with an episode and a half in the can, before resuming in early July. The European-funded series stars David Tennant as Verne’s famous explorer Phileas Fogg. To satisfy a foolhardy wager, Fogg and his valet set off on a globe-circling journey, this time in the company of journalist Abigail Fix, played by The Crown’s Leonie Benesch. It’s been adapted by a team led by Life On Mars’ Ashley Pharoah.

Anne (tbc)

World Productions, the makers of some of the best British drama around (Line Of Duty, Save Me, Jed Mercurio’s drama Bodyguard) are behind this four-part drama for ITV. Written by novelist Kevin Sampson, who was present at Hillsborough Stadium on the tragic day that ninety-six football fans died, it tells the real-life story of Anne Williams’ decades-long fight for justice for her teenage son and all the victims of the 1989 disaster. Maxine Peake stars in the lead role and Bruce Goodison directs.

Before We Die (tbc)

Adapted from the Swedish crime thriller of the same name (pictured above), Before We Die is the six-part story of a detective who discovers that her son is acting as an undercover informant in a brutal murder investigation. This English-language version is set in Bristol and stars Lesley Sharp, Vincent Regan and Patrick Gibson. It was due to film in Bristol and Belgium in winter 2020 and will be coming to Channel 4.

Behind Her Eyes (tbc)

Filming took place on this six-part Netflix psychological thriller back in 2019, so there shouldn’t be too long to wait for it now. Adapted by Hannibal and The Punisher’s Steve Lightfoot from Sarah Pinborough’s 2017 novel, it’s the story of a woman who becomes involved in an unconventional love triangle that develops into a dark, twist-filled web of secrets. Tom Bateman (Vanity Fair, Beecham House) and The Luminaries’ Eve Hewson star.

Best Interests (tbc)

Jack Thorne (pictured), the busiest screenwriter in the UK is returning to BBC One fresh from His Dark Materials series two with a new original four-part drama partly inspired by the real-life Charlie Gard case. It’s about a young child with a life-threatening condition whose medical team judge it in her best interests that she be allowed to die, a decision her family can’t support and fight every step of the way. The commission was announced in July 2019 and filming was due to begin in 2020.

Bloodlands (tbc)

Filming got underway in February on new BBC One crime drama Bloodlands, which stars The Missing and Cold Feet‘s James Nesbitt and takes place in Northern Ireland. The thriller, from new writer Chris Brandon, will revolve around a cold case that holds personal significance for Nesbitt’s detective, and follows his hunt for an assassin. Susan Lynch, Michael Smiley, Ian McElhinney and Lisa Dwan are among the cast. In June 2020, the Belfast Telegraph reported from producer Jed Mercurio that filming had wrapped before the COVID-19 industry shutdown and that an extended post-production period had been agreed with the BBC.

But When We Dance (tbc)

Directed by Johnny Campbell (of In The Flesh and Dracula fame) and written by Esio Trot’s Paul Mayhew Archer, this one-off comedy-drama about two people with Parkinson’s disease was announced in late 2019 and will be coming to BBC One. Described as a touching and hilarious love story, it’s the story of Tony and Emma, a couple who first meet at a dance class for people with Parkinson’s. It promises to be a witty, heart-felt 90 minutes throwing a light on a much-diagnosed condition in the UK.

Chloe (tbc)

From Alice Seabright, director of Netflix’s Sex Education (pictured above) comes six-part BBC One series Chloe. It’s the story of Becky, who becomes so obsessed with the death of an estranged friend that she takes on a false identity to find out the true story.

Come Again (2022)

Robert Webb’s debut novel Come Again, which was published in April 2020, is being adapted for television. It was announced in May 2020 that Firebird Pictures Ltd is working on the screen version of the story by the writer-actor. Come Again is the first novel by Webb (Peep Show, Back, That Mitchell And Webb Look). It tells the story of Kate, a karate expert, computer genius widow mired in grief who gets an out-of-this-world chance to go back into her past and change the future. It’s part love story, part coming-of-age story, part spy thriller packed with action and 90s nostalgia.

Conversations with Friends (tbc)

Following the enormous success of Normal People – the story of young Irish couple Marianne and Connor navigating love, sex, university, class, friendship and mental health – the BBC and Hulu are collaborating on an adaptation of author Sally Rooney’s debut novel, Conversations with Friends. This one’s on a similar bent, as the story of a pair of young Irish students who get involved with an glamorous older, married couple. No casting has yet been announced but expect 12 half-hour episodes.

Cuckoo Song (2022)

Based on the acclaimed young adult novel by author Frances Hardinge (The Lie Tree, Fly By Night), this six-part fantasy series is coming to Netflix. Among the writers are Doctor Who’s Sarah Dollard, Elizabeth is Missing’s Andrea Gibb and The Innocents’ Corinna Faith. It’s the story of two sisters – one human and one a monster – at war with each other, who have to reunite to reverse a supernatural pact gone wrong.

Danny Boy (tbc)

Filming began in October 2020 on the provisionally titled Danny Boy, a new BBC Two feature-length drama about real-life soldier Brian Wood, accused of war crimes in Iraq by human rights lawyer Phil Shiner. Ordeal by Innocence’s Anthony Boyle will play Wood, with the magnificent Toby Jones as Shiner, with a screenplay written by Murder and Party Animals’ Robert Jones

Death Comes as the End (tbc)

With Agatha Christie adaptation The Pale Horse having completed Sarah Phelps’ quintet of adaptations for the BBC in 2020, it’s the turn of a different voice on a very different kind of Christie novel. That voice? Vanity Fair and Five Days screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes. And that novel? Death Comes As The End, a murder mystery set not in the early 20th century, but in ancient Egypt. The arrival of a new concubine sends ripples through an Egyptian priest’s family. The cast and air date have yet to be announced.

Devils (February)

Coming to Sky Atlantic in February, high-finance thriller Devils is based on Guido Maria Brera’s novel of the same name. It’s a story of a top investment firm, multi-million dollar deals, a mysterious death and a public scandal. Alessandro Borghi stars.

Domina (tbc)

From Simon Burke, the creator of Sky weird-thriller Fortitude, eight-part historical family saga Domina is set in ancient Rome, beginning in the wake of Julius Caesar’s assassination. Based on real historical characters, it follows the ascendancy of Livia Drusilla through the Roman political ranks, as she strategizes her way to the top, driven by revenge.

Englistan (tbc)

Actor, rapper and screenwriter Riz Ahmed (pictured) was announced in 2018 as developing this ambitious nine-part series with BBC Two, but no updates have been released since. It was set to be a drama about three generations of a British Pakistani family set over the course of four decades. As soon as there’s any news on this one, we’ll include it here.

Finding Alice (tbc)

Keeley Hawes stars as a woman who discovers a host of unsettling secrets when her partner Harry unexpectedly dies when they finally move into their newly built dream house. A black comedy coming to ITV, Finding Alice also stars Joanna Lumley and Nigel Havers, and was written by The Durrells’ Simon Nye.

Four Lives (tbc)

Previously titled The Barking Murders, Four Lives is a three-part BBC drama based on real-life killer Stephen Port, and the aftermath of the four murders he committed. Port raped and murdered four men between 2014 and 2015, using Grindr to attract his victims. Jeff Pope, who previously penned The Moorside and Little Boy Blue, is the writer, with Neil McKay directing. Sheridan Smith and Jamie Winstone will star alongside Stephen Merchant as Port. In this Entertainment Focus interview from April 2020, actor Michael Jibson confirmed the drama was currently postponed due to the ongoing real-life criminal case.

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Ginger Snaps (2022)

It’s 20 years since the release of Ginger Snaps, the first in a trilogy of now-cult horror films, and, according to Sid Gentle Films, high time for a live-action TV adaptation. The darkly comic feminist werewolf movie will be adapted for a TV co-production by Anna Ssemuyaba, who has previous written for Sky’s Guerilla, Channel 4’s Adult Material and ITV’s Unsaid Stories, and from by the co-producers of Killing Eve and Orphan Black.

Grace (tbc)

From Endeavour creator Russell Lewis come two feature-length adaptations of Peter James’ crime novel series about a Brighton-based Detective Superintendent. Life on Mars’ John Simm will play unorthodox investigator Roy Grace, who’s haunted by the disappearance of his wife, in two-hour versions of Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead. The first film revolves around a cold case and a groom who goes mysteriously missing just days before his wedding.

Half Bad (tbc)

Based on Sally Green’s celebrated book trilogy of the same name, Half Bad will be an eight-part one-hour Netflix fantasy drama. It’s about a 16-year-old boy who has spent his life surveilled for signs that he may follow in the footsteps of his father – the world’s most feared witch. Giri/Haji creator Joe Barton is writing the series, with Andy Serkis among the producers. We. Can’t. Wait.

Harlan Coben’s Stay Close (tbc)

Thriller writer Harlan Coban is currently part of the way into a five-year deal with Netflix to adapt 14 of his novels, and Stay Close is the latest adaptation from writer Danny Brocklehurst and RED Productions, the team that brought us The Stranger. Like The Stranger, Stay Close will star Richard Armitage and move the book setting from the US to the UK. It’s the story of three characters whose dark secrets threaten to destroy their lives. James Nesbitt and Cush Jumbo also star.

Hollington Drive (tbc)

If you’ve seen writer Sophie Petzal’s Irish thriller Blood starring Adrian Dunbar, you’ll want to tune in for this. Coming to ITV, it’s a four-part thriller about two grown-up sisters who become entangled in a tense mystery when their children are involved in the disappearance of a 10-year-old local boy. Expect twists, turns, and sharp writing.

Inside Man (tbc)

The latest BBC One drama from former Doctor Who and Sherlock showrunner Steven Moffat is a four-part crime thriller entitled Inside Man. The twisting story is about a death row inmate in the US and a woman who’s trapped in a cellar under an English vicarage, whose lives interlink “in the most unexpected way”. Filming was due to begin in late 2020.

Intergalactic (tbc)

Excellent news for sci-fi fans, this. Coming to Sky One and NOW TV in 2021, Intergalactic is an original, British space-set drama about a galactic pilot who’s falsely imprisoned, then breaks free with a gang of other high-security female prisoners. It stars The Tunnel‘s Savannah Steyn in the lead role, with Parminder Nagra, Eleanor Tomlinson, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Natasha O’Keeffe, Thomas Turgoose and Craig Parkinson, so lots of great British talent in the cast. Filming took place in Manchester and Spain and we’ll bring you much more closer to release.

It’s a Sin (January)

This 1980s-set drama (previously titled The Boys) comes from acclaimed screenwriter Russell T. Davies (A Very English Scandal, Doctor Who) and tackles the impact of AIDS on the lives of three young men across a period of ten years. It’s the story of “the epidemic, the pain of rejection and the prejudices that gay men faced throughout the decade.” Filming began on the five-part series in October 2019, with a cast including Olly Alexander, Neil Patrick Harris, Keeley Hawes, Stephen Fry, Tracy Ann Oberman and Shaun Dooley. See the first teaser here.

Karen Pirie (tbc)

A new detective is on her way to ITV in the form of Karen Pirie, the creation of novelist Val McDermid who’s also the literary source of ITV’s popular Wire in the Blood forensic pathology series. The new crime drama comes adapted from the first in McDermid’s five-book series The Distant Echo by Harlots and Save Me Too’s Emer Kenny. It’s about a young Scottish detective working in St. Andrews who is tasked with reopening cold cases. The first involves the 25-year-old death of a teenager whose unsolved murder has become the subject of a true crime podcast. It’s being made by Bodyguard and Line of Duty‘s World Productions.

Landscapers (tbc)

A four-part true crime series about ‘Mansfield Murderers’ Susan and Christopher Edwards is on its way to Sky Atlantic and HBO. Alexander Payne (Sideways) was set to direct, but departed the project in October 2020 following what’s being reported as a scheduling conflict after Covid-19 pushed production back. The Edwards killed Susan’s parents and buried them in their garden, then spent over a decade draining their bank accounts before being discovered in 2014. Olivia Colman will star as Susan Edwards, from a script written by Colman’s producer husband Ed Sinclair. Giri/Haji and Flowers’ Will Sharpe replaces Payne as the director.

Leonardo (tbc)

Not strictly (or at all) a British series, we’ve snuck this Italian production in anyway because of its lead actor – Poldark and Being Human’s Aidan Turner – and its pedigree – from The X-Files and The Man In The High Castle’s Frank Spotnitz. The writer-producer’s latest screen work was on Medici, also made for an Italian production company. This eight-episode series will tell the life of artist Leonardo through the story of his masterpieces. Filming wrapped in August 2020 and there’s no UK broadcaster confirmed at present.

Life After Life (tbc)

Kate Atkinson’s 2013 novel Life After Life is a masterpiece of imaginative fiction, so it’s no surprise that BBC One is currently preparing a TV adaptation. It’s the story of Ursula, a woman with the extraordinary power to keep being continually reborn into new and alternative versions of her life after she dies. Seemingly insignificant changes to people and circumstances set her on new courses every time – can she alter the course of history? Playwright Bash Doran (Traitors) has adapted the novel and filming is due to start in spring 2021.

Lockwood & Co (tbc)

Attack the Block’s Joe Cornish is writing and directing this Netflix adaptation of Jonathan Stroud’s supernatural adventure series about a ghost-hunting detective agency run by two teenage boys and a psychic girl. It’s set in London and was only announced in December 2020, so don’t expect to see it arrive on the streaming service for a little while yet.

My Name is Leon (tbc)

The BBC is preparing a feature-length adaptation of Kit de Waal’s novel My Name is Leon, the 1980s-set story of a nine-year-old biracial boy forced to cope with his mother’s breakdown. Writer-director Shola Amoo is adapting the screenplay, with Kibwe Tavares directing.

My Name is Lizzie (tbc)

This four-part Channel 4 drama, based on real events, will star The Virtues and Raised by Wolves’ Niamh Algar as an undercover police officer used in a honeytrap search for a killer in the 1990s. Written by The Tunnel’s Emilia di Girolamo, it promises to take viewers behind the scenes on one of the UK’s most controversial police investigations. It was only announced in late 2020, so don’t expect it for a little while.

Ralph and Katie (tbc)

This six-part half hour is a spin-off from BBC One’s hit family drama The A Word, following the married lives of the titular characters, both of whom have Down’s Syndrome. The original series creator Peter Bowker is writing the show, which stars Leon Harrop and Sarah Gordy, alongside new and emerging disabled talent.

Red Rose (tbc)

A contemporary teen horror series is on its way to BBC Three and Netflix, written by Michael and Paul Clarkson (The Haunting Of Hill House, pictured). Red Rose will be an eight-part series about the relationship between teenagers and their online lives. It’s the story of Rochelle, a Bolton teen who downloads a mysterious app that sets in motion a series of terrifying events. Ultimately, say the Clarksons, “it’s the story of friendship told through the prism of a classic horror-thriller.”

Riches (tbc)

From Empire to Succession, the complicated family lives of the super-wealthy are a continued source of fascination on screen. ITV has ordered drama Riches from writer Abby Ajayi to mine that seam. The six-part drama revolves around successful businessman Stephen Richards, a specialist in cosmetics for black women, who’s on a winning streak until a dramatic event forces his grown-up children from two marriages to gather together and decide what happens next.

Ridley Road (tbc)

Filming began in November on four-part BBC One thriller Ridley Road, adapted from Jo Bloom’s 2014 novel of the same name. Actor and screenwriter Sarah Solemani (Him & Her, No Offence) has adapted Bloom’s book, which tells the story of the fight against fascism in 1960s London. According to Solemani, the novel reveals “a darker side of Sixties London and the staggering contribution the Jewish community made in the battle against racism.” Newcomer Aggi O’Casey is joined by Eddie Marsan, Rory Kinnear, Samantha Spiro and more.

Ripley (tbc)

Sherlock and Fleabag’s Andrew Scott will play Tom Ripley in a new TV adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith five-strong novel series for Showtime and Sky Atlantic. The first season will restage events as depicted in Anthony Minghella’s The Talented Mr Ripley, when a young grifter in 1960s New York is hired by a wealthy man to convince his wayward, hedonist son – played by Emma and Beast’s Johnny Flynn – to return home from Italy. Steven Zaillian (The Night Of, Schindler’s List) will write and direct.

Rogue Heroes (tbc)

A major new drama is on its way to BBC One, from Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders and Taboo. The six-part drama is based on Ben Macintyre’s SAS: Rogue Heroes book, which charts the creation of the famed Special Forces unit. Knight is writing the adaptation, which will tell a tale “celebrating the glory, action and camaraderie at the heart of this story” while delving into the psychology of the officers and men who formed the SAS in WWII. With real-life events given Knight’s visionary treatment, this one promises to be a spectacle with real depth.

Screw (tbc)

Inspired by his real-life experience as a civilian prison worker, writer Rob Williams (Killing Eve, pictured above) is bringing a six-part prison drama to Channel 4. Screw promises to show “the uncensored, terrifying and often darkly funny reality of life as a prison officer in an all-male prison in 21st century Britain.” The story focuses on veteran officer Leigh, who’s trying to keep her past buried, and mouthy new recruit Rose. Casting is yet to be announced.

Showtrial (tbc)

The Tunnel’s writer Ben Richards has teamed up with World Productions (the folks behind Bodyguard, pictured, and Line of Duty) on six-part series Showtrial. Coming to BBC One, it’s a legal drama that questions the role class, money and power play in justice being done. The story treats the disappearance of a young working class student and the subsequent arrest and trial of the accused, “the arrogant daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur.” There’s been no official news on this one since its December 2019 announcement, so stay tuned for more.

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Superhoe (tbc)

Nicôle Lecky’s one-woman Royal Court stage show is getting the Fleabag treatment and being turned into a six-part BBC Three series. It’s the musical story of a would-be singer and rapper thrown out of home who moves in with a young woman who inducts her into the life of social media influencing and sex work.

Sweetpea (tbc)

From Kirstie Swain, the screenwriter of Channel 4’s Pure comes a new eight-part series adapted from C.J. Skuse’s 2017 novel of the same name. It’s the story of a young woman who seems unremarkable on the surface and works as an editorial assistant in a British seaside town. Unfulfilled by her job, she turns to darker pursuits outside of work, because who would ever suspect her? The comedy-drama is coming to Sky Atlantic and no casting has yet been announced. Read our interview with Kirstie Swain about Pure, mental illness in TV drama and more.

Tenacity (tbc)

If you saw His Dark Materials on BBC One, then you know Welsh-based Bad Wolf Productions are capable of great things on a grand scale. In 2019, ITV commissioned them to make six-part thriller Tenacity, from a screenplay by Flightplan’s Peter A. Dowling, based on the J.S. Law novel of the same name. It’s about a body discovered on a British nuclear submarine, investigated by military detective Danielle Lewis. Think assassins, high-stakes action and a momentous threat to national security. The cast is tba.

The Baby (tbc)

Due to film in 2021, The Baby is a darkly comic horror on its way to Sky Atlantic. The eight-episode first season was co-created by screenwriter Siân Robins-Grace (Kaos, Sex Education) and Gangs of London (pictured above) production manager Lucy Gaymer. It’s being billed as a provocative, dark and funny story about a woman in her late thirties who’s unexpectedly landed with a baby that takes over her world.

The Birth of Daniel F Harris (tbc)

With a similar premise to Sky One’s Two Weeks to Live, but a psychological drama instead of a knockabout comedy, this Channel 4 drama by Urban Myths‘ (pictured above) Pete Jackson is the story of a young man raised in isolation from society after his mother’s death, by a father who told him the outside world is filled with monsters. When the boy turns eighteen, he enters the world to find the person responsible for his mother’s death. Read more about it here.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton (tbc)

Adapted by Sara Collins from her own Costa Prize-winning novel of the same name, The Confessions of Frannie Langton is a four part murder mystery set in Georgian London. It follows the title character, born on a Jamaican slave plantation and transported as a ‘gift’ by the man who enslaved her to the home of a wealthy London couple who meet a grim fate. Was Frannie really responsible? Or is she being used?

The Elephant Man (tbc)

The story of Victorian Joseph Merrick was memorably brought to the screen by David Lynch in 1980, and has since been retold on stage (notably starring Bradley Cooper in the lead role). This two-part BBC drama stars Stranger Things’ Charlie Heaton (pictured) and is written by Moorside’s Neil McKay. The biopic will tell the story of Merrick’s life from the start to the end and promises to “explore the man behind the myth”. Filming was due to take place in Wales in late 2018, but there’s been no news about this one since so it’s a bit of a question mark.

The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies (tbc)

In this original six-part BBC One thriller, screenwriters Penelope and Ginny Skinner (pictured above) tell the story of two very different women, both of whom are being conned by the same man. Alice and Caroline have Rob in common, a celebrated ecopreneur who may well be trying to destroy them both. Inspired to fight against society’s glorification of the predator, The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies was commissioned in August 2020, so it’ll be a little while before we see it.

The Irregulars (tbc)

The modern version. The Robert Downey Jr version. The gnome version. The version where Watson is Lucy Liu. Just when you thought the world had no more Sherlock Holmes to give, along comes The Irregulars on Netflix. Written by My Mad Fat Diary‘s Tom Bidwell, this version focuses on the Baker Street gang of teens used as a resource by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Great Detective, and comes with what’s promised to be a horrifying supernatural twist. With Netflix money behind it, this could be a great deal of fun. Filming began in Liverpool in late 2019, then was put on hold thanks to Covid-19 but it’s still due to arrive in 2021. Henry Lloyd-Hughes (pictured above) will play Sherlock Holmes.

The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe (tbc)

Power, love, loyalty and politics all come to play in Dan Sefton’s (Trust Me) BBC adaptation of Keith Badman’s 2010 book The Final Years Of Marilyn Monroe. Narrowing the time-frame (as the working title suggests) Sefton’s drama will take in the final six months of Monroe’s life until her death in 1962 at the age of 36. We first heard about this one back in April 2019, but since then there’s been no news about casting or filming.

The North Water (tbc)

Film director Andrew Haigh (Weekend, 45 Years, Lean On Pete) has adapted and directed Ian Maguire’s novel The North Water into a four-part BBC Two drama with an excellent cast. Colin Farrell, Stephen Graham (pictured above), Tom Courtenay, Peter Mullan and Jack O’Connell are all on board – literally so as the series is set on a whaling ship in the Arctic in the 1850s. It’s the story of a disgraced ex-army surgeon who joins a whaling expedition and finds himself “on an ill-fated journey with a murderous psychopath” and in a struggle to survive. Filming took place on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in late 2019.

The Offenders (tbc)

From co-creator of The Office and writer-director of fab wrestling film Fighting with my Family, Stephen Merchant (pictured above, and soon to be seen playing killer Stephen Port in ITV true crime drama Four Lives) and Mayans M.C.’s Elgin James is a six-part one-hour comedy The Offenders. A BBC One-Amazon Studios co-production, it follows seven strangers forced together to complete a Community Payback sentence in Bristol. Merchant is joined by Christopher Walken, Darren Boyd and Eleanor Tomlinson in the cast.

The Pembrokeshire Murders (January)

This three-part ITV true crime drama stars Luke Evans as Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins, who, in 2006, reopened and solved a cold case from the 1980s using new forensic DNA evidence and, bizarrely, an episode of darts-based quiz show Bullseye. Keith Allen plays John Cooper, the man in Wilkins’ sights.

The Pursuit of Love (tbc)

Emily Mortimer has written and directed this BBC One adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s 1945 comic romance about an aristocratic family in the interwar period (loosely based on Mitford’s own family, which gained notoriety through her popular novels and her sisters’ scandalous connections to the British Union of Fascists and Adolf Hitler). Downton Abbey‘s Lily James plays lead Linda Radlett.

The Red Zone (tbc)

Sports writers Barney Ronay and Jonathan Liew are behind this six-part half-hour comedy “about football, but also not about football,” which is coming to Netflix in 2021. Director Sam Mendes is executive producing through his Neal Street Productions company. Only announced in late 2020, no casting has yet been confirmed for this one.

The Responder (tbc)

BBC Two is developing a six-part series from new screenwriter and former police officer Tony Schumacher, who’s been mentored by Jimmy McGovern as part of a BBC Writers Room initiative. The Responder will star The Hobbit and Sherlock‘s Martin Freeman as officer Chris, who works a series of night shifts in Liverpool. The series is described as funny, tragic, and showing the realities of policing in Britain.

The Rig (tbc)

In November 2020, Amazon Prime Video green-lit this six-episode supernatural thriller from Line of Duty and Bodyguard (pictured above) director John Strickland, written by David Macpherson. It’s due to film in Scotland and is set onboard the Kishorn Bravo oil rig in the North Sea. The crew finds itself marooned on the rig by a mysterious fog that cuts off communication with the outside world.

The Serpent (January)

Ripper Street writer Richard Warlow has written this original eight-part BBC drama about “the phenomenal true story of how one of the most elusive criminals of the 20th century was caught and brought to trial.” It’s the tale of Charlies Sobhraj, Interpol’s most wanted man in the 1970s following a series of murders of young Western travellers across India. Tom Shankland (Les Miserables, The City & The City) directs, and A Prophet and The Looming Tower‘s Tahar Rahim will play the lead role of Sobhraj. He’ll be joined by Jenna Coleman, Billie Howell and Ellie Bamber.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (tbc)

Now this sounds like a bit of alright. Adapted from Stuart Turton’s novel of the same name, it’s a seven-part murder mystery coming to Netflix. The story’s a high-concept thriller about a woman trying to solve a murder who keeps waking up in somebody else’s body every time she gets close to the answer. Sophie Petzal (The Last Kingdom, Blood – pictured above) is adapting it, and the announcement only arrived in late 2020, so don’t expect it for a little while yet. Casting is tba.

The Three (tbc)

Another BBC drama commission based on a book series, The Three, “an international thriller with a supernatural twist”, was announced in late 2017 but there’s been no news since then. The premise of Sarah Lotz’ trilogy sees four planes crash on the same day in four different countries, leaving three children as the miraculous survivors… Wolf Hall’s Peter Straughan was attached as adapting this eight-part drama but as yet, it’s still to appear on his IMDb credits. We’ll keep you posted if more arrives.

The Tourist (tbc)

Producer-writers Harry and Jack Williams (Fleabag, Baptiste, The Missing, Liar) are back with a six-part drama set and filmed in South Australia. The Tourist is an outback noir about a British man pursued through the Australian outback by a tank truck. When the man awakens in a hospital with no memory of who he is or how he got there, his search for answers takes him to some unsettling places. Chris Sweeney (Back to Life) directs and casting is tba.

Time (tbc)

Three-part prison drama Time is the latest from legendary British screenwriter Jimmy McGovern (Cracker, Accused, Broken), and stars Sean Bean and Stephen Graham. Filming is due to begin in autumn 2020 in Liverpool. It’s being billed as “a visceral and high-stakes portrayal of life in the modern British penal system”, and tells the story of two men – an inmate serving time for having killed an innocent man in an accident, and a prison officer targeted by a dangerous inmate.

Tom Jones (tbc)

Praise for 2018’s Vanity Fair adaptation, scheduled opposite Bodyguard in 2018, was drowned out somewhat by the hit political thriller, but there was plenty of it, and deservingly so. Good news then, that ITV has brought screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes back to tackle another classic novel – Henry Fielding’s 1749 book Tom Jones. Following in the footsteps of the acclaimed Albert Finney-starring 1963 film, and the raucous 1997 version with Max Beasley, expect rollicking fun. The last update we had in November 2019 confirmed that Hughes was mid-writing, but news has been thin on the ground since then.

Too Close (tbc)

Chernobyl‘s Emily Watson (pictured above in BBC One’s Apple Tree Yard) stars in this meaty psychological three-part thriller coming to ITV. Based on the novel of the same name written by Natalie Daniels (the pseudonym of actor-writer Clara Salaman, who’s also behind the screenplay), it’s about a forensic psychiatrist treating a patient who’s committed a heinous crime that she says she doesn’t remember. The two women become locked in a dark struggle of influence and manipulation. Watson is so far the only confirmed cast member.

Trigger Point (tbc)

Line of Duty actor Vicky McClure (pictured above) and creator Jed Mercurio are collaborating on a new ITV thriller about a bomb disposal expert. Written by Daniel Brierley and executive produced by Mercurio, it’s the story of Lana Washington (McClure) a front-line bomb disposal pro whose squad is pushed to the limits tackling a terrorist threat to London.

Vigil (tbc)

With a working title of Vigil, a new six-part thriller filmed in Scotland is on its way from the makers of Bodyguard and Line of Duty. Created by Strike‘s Tom Edge, it’s the story of the mysterious disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler and a death on board a Trident nuclear submarine that brings the police into conflict with the Navy and British security services. It stars Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie, Shaun Evans, Anjli Mohindra, Martin Compston, Paterson Joseph and more. Filming was forced to halt in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 industry shutdown and resumed in August 2020.

Viewpoint (tbc)

A five-part thriller is coming to ITV from Rillington Place and Manhunt writer Ed Whitmore and Fleabag director Harry Bradbeer. It’s about a police surveillance investigation in Manchester following the disappearance of a primary school teacher. A detective constable (Noel Clarke, pictured) sets up a surveillance op in the flat of a local woman and watches the tight-knit community of the missing woman. ITV promises a “contemporary, character-driven murder mystery” mining the same ground as Rear Window and The Lives of Others.

When It Happens To You (tbc)

A new drama based on real-life abortion stories set in Northern Ireland – the only part of the UK where pregnancy termination remains illegal – is coming to BBC One. Written by Vanity Fair‘s Gwyneth Hughes, who travelled to Northern Ireland to meet the families who inspired the drama, When it Happens to You is produced by the makers of hard-hitting Three Girls (pictured) and will explore the experience of families and loved ones whose lives have been affected by the law in Northern Ireland.

White Stork (tbc)

Formerly known as Spadehead, White Stork is a 10-episode political drama coming to Netflix courtesy of Eleven, the British production compnay behind Sex Education. Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers, The Night Manager – pictured above) stars as James Cooper, whose secret past is unearthed when he’s vetted in preparation for a parliamentary election. It was creted by Jericho and Meadowlands‘ Christopher Dunlop, with Taboo‘s Kristoffer Nyholm directing.

You (tbc)

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We might expect the working title of this one to change to avoid confusion with the Netflix stalker story of the same name, but as it stands, You will be an eight-part thriller coming to Sky. It’s adapted from the Zoran Drvenkar novel about a woman on the run across Europe after committing a deadly crime, pursued by a dangerous gangster and a serial killer known only as The Traveller, and is written by The Capture (pictured above) screenwriter Ben Chanan.

The post New British TV Series for 2021: BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky Dramas and More appeared first on Den of Geek.

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wolfpawn · 5 years ago

Text

I Hate You, I Love You, Chapter 76

Chapter Summary - Tom and Danielle enjoy some time in the countryside once more, talking about something that has been on Tom's mind before celebrating Tom's birthday.

Previous Chapter

Rating - Mature (some chapters contain smut)

Triggers - references to Tom Hiddleston’s work with the #MeToo Movement. That chapter will be tagged accordingly.

authors Note - I have been working on this for the last 3 years, it is currently 180+ chapters long. This will be updated daily, so long as I can get time to do so, obviously

tags: @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog @jessibelle-nerdy-mum @nonsensicalobsessions @damalseer @hiddlesbitch1 @winterisakiller @fairlightswiftly @salempoe @wolfsmom1

If you wish to be tagged, please let me know.

Tom looked around the house, wondering where Danielle was, the fact that Mac was hiding under the table looking less than pleased caught his attention also. "Where is she?" The dog only gave a small groan in response. "Where is she gone?" His answer came a moment later when a loud engine roared and Mac's ears went up, his attention to the back garden as he did so. Tom walked out and watched as Danielle mowed the grass on the small patch of her garden that was green. It took only a moment before it was done. "A woman of many talents."

"And yet a master at none," She smiled looking over at him. "Come on, I am going to do your mum's while I'm at it."

"Okay?"

"Open the gate," Danielle instructed.

"Where is she gone?" He asked, doing as he was instructed, noting his mum's car was gone from her driveway.

"Shopping, she said she wants to grab a few bits in town."

"Don't you usually go with her?"

"If by that do you mean 'Danielle, you usually play chauffeur, why not today' then the answer is because I am doing this housework, and I want to get everything here sorted." she smiled, leaning up to kiss him. "So I was thinking…"

"Oh God," Tom chuckled as she swatted his arm. "What were you thinking, Darling?"

"A walk after lunch, you, me and a particular canine?"

"The woods?"

"Yep."

Tom wrapped his arms around her, "I think that is a wonderful idea." He leant down and kissed her. "I hate not being able to walk around with you in London."

"I do too, until you go out and are photographed going to Sainsbury's or going for a jog and am reminded that as soon as we are out, they will harass you again like they did when they were trying to get you to talk about Swift."

Tom's brow furrowed. "What about when they start harassing you, why would you be worried about when they are harassing me, I am used to it?"

"Well, I am working on me, so I know I am getting there, so I am worried about you," she explained before getting ready to mow Diana's lawn.

"I should do that." Tom edged forward towards the lawnmower.

"Do you know how?" Tom looked at her, insulted at her insinuation. "Okay," she backed off before turning to look at him again, "Don't forget to prime it though." She stated before going to get the bag to tidy the cut grass so that they could minimise the time it would take.

Tom looked at the lawnmower, wondering what she meant by priming it. After a few seconds of looking at the machine, he turned to see her looking at him expectantly. "I…"

"Never used a petrol one?"

"No, just electric." He admitted, relieved she was not using a ridiculing tone, but one of comprehension.

"Right, well, it is fairly simple." She dropped the bag down in a corner and walked over to him. "The primer is this red button under here," she bent down and showed him the button in question. "You push it three times to send petrol into the engine to start her up, then, you pull this lever here," She pulled a lever. "Keep it pulled, and you yank this rope back and it will start the motor." She explained, showing him by doing it. The motor roaring to life once more as she did so before she let go of the lever and it died again. "Now you try."

Tom slowly went through the steps she told him again and got it, for a moment, before leaving go of the lever. "What happened?"

"You let go, you kill it when you do that." She explained.

Tom smiled down at her. "How do you know all of this?"

"My dad told me to never depend on other people to do house chores, plumbing, electrics and tiling aside, every girl should know how to look after her house."

"I saw you fix mum's sink once." Tom corrected.

"That was cleaning the U-bend, that isn't plumbing, that is basic hygiene."

Tom leant down and kissed her again. "You are an incredible woman Danielle."

"Because I know how to use a lawnmower?" She stared at him as though he was mad.

"No, because you are so independent and strong." his smile fell slightly. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did," she joked, before nodding slightly, noting his slight change of tone. "Sure, ask away."

"Would he have approved of me, your father?"

Danielle did not answer for a moment, not because she did not want to hurt Tom's feelings, but simply because she was assessing the question properly. "I think so."

"Really?"

"He would have joked about being thankful you're not a vet, he always was at me to never marry a vet, my life would be hell putting up with him. He would love how much respect you have for your mum, that would have been something he would focus on, and your sisters, that really mattered to him. That would have him approving in a second, hands down."

"My career?" that was where Danielle looked at him awkwardly. "Please, Elle, be honest."

"He would have worried. He didn't want me left raising a family by myself while my husband would be working as a vet, out a few times a night, or pretty much be a single mother in Springtime, so I can't imagine you going off for a few months would be something he would have been too pleased by, but that being said, my career isn't stationary either, I mean we are effectively in the same industry, so I think he would see that as a plus and badger me, and you too, to take jobs together."

"Do you think we ever will?"

"What, work on the same set?" Tom nodded. "Dunno, I mean there is a chance, but until I get a bit bigger, I am not sure, you are usually on big jobs, Marvel, Kong, that sort of thing, but who knows, the day might come."

"Would that bother you?"

"Yes, I mean how am I supposed to work if I have to try and function with your sexy ass nearby?" Danielle joked. "Before we make this public, if we were working together, yes, it would, because I would have to listen to every female and probably a man or two too, going on about how sexy you are; at least if it happens after, I can laugh at them saying I only got the job because of you and get to walk around knowing that for all their staring at your ass, I am the only one that gets to have it."

"Most definitely." Tom grinned.

"What about the other way around. How do you think you would feel me working close to you like that, barking orders at construction men and having directors angry that I am costing shooting hours because the set isn't to my standard?"

"Well I know you are a very meticulous woman of very high standards of quality in your life Ms Hughes, and regarding seeing you in action, telling those men what to do, I fear we would come to have an issue." He grinned.

"And what issue is that?" She asked, her brow raised.

"I would be very much inclined to find you the subject of daily lust that I would have to endure torturously before sating myself with you nightly."

"You are a fiend, Tom Hiddleston." She swatted his arm as she looked at him, her own lust rising at his words. "Now, enough dallying and mow the lawn, it will be your fortieth birthday before you are finished this, much less your next one if you keep trying to avoid housework."

Tom smiled as she walked around his mother's garden to pick up some plant debris as he did as she instructed and started the lawnmower.

"What about your mum?" Danielle looked at him as they walked through the woods, watching Mac sniff and mark nigh on every other tree. The leaves finally starting to consider coming out of their hibernation on the chilly but dry overcast February day. "Would she have approved?"

"Can I ask why this even matters?"

Tom's pace faltered slightly. "She wouldn't have?"

"No, I think she would, but why does it even matter, they are not here, they cannot have an opinion on this."

"Is it wrong for me to want to know if my partner's parents would like me?" Tom asked. "You know what my parents think of you."

"Your parents make it very clear what they think of people and to be honest, that's not a bad thing either."

"Elle?"

"Look, Mam would have thought you a gentleman, she would have fawned over you and dare I admit it, giggled like a schoolgirl at you saying you love things in the house and probably get smitten," she stated factually before looking at him again. "Now, why does this matter now?"

"Mum asked me yesterday was I going to Ireland for your grandmother's anniversary, I said no and mentioned what you said about your aunt not approving of me, which led to mum making a comment about her opinion not being the one that would have mattered, but your parents and she was sure they would have approved of me, but of course, we have no way to know that," Tom explained.

Danielle thought over his words for a moment, glad to understand why he had asked such a random question. "My aunt is a battle-axe. Literally, you could have two Oscars, four Golden Globes and a couple of Grammy's and she would think you not good enough for our family, she cost her daughter a marriage to a guy she really loved because of her notions. But Dad wasn't like her, they were from the same house but he was a farmer's son and he never forgot it. He earned more than his dad ever did, he had a bigger, nicer house, he had fancier things but he was a farmer's son and no way would he forget it. It doesn't matter if we had a dining room as well as a kitchen, it was the same food on fancier plates as my grandfather put it that was served. Bacon and cabbage, stew and all that, no fancy posh meals. I remember Mam served him some pizza once, he asked what the fuck squashed his quiche." she laughed, Tom quickly joined in. "My aunt acts as though they were landed gentry and not from 'knee-high in cow shit' as my dad used to say."

"I see where you got your love of swearing."

"Stop, Mam used to give out to him for swearing so much."

"Was she the rock of sense?"

Danielle looked at him bemusedly. "Tom, I swear, her way of saying 'stop swearing' was, and I swear this is the truth 'watch your fucking language'." Tom erupted in laughter at that, so much so that Mac stopped sniffing a plant and looked around at them.

"You're not serious, please tell me that's the truth," Tom begged.

Danielle raised her hand as though she was about to swear on a bible. "I solemnly swear, that is what she used to say. And dad used to give out to her for it then and blame her for my foul mouth, both using expletives in doing so and with Mam bearing arms with some form of kitchen utensil in her hand."

"That is brilliant." Tom chuckled.

"Yeah, so that is my parents."

"I wish I could have met them."

"Well, if you had, I would not have been in England, so you would not have known who they were." Danielle pointed out. "But yes, I wish you could have. Dad would have loved you, a fellow Jameson man. He'd have hammered the GAA into you though."

"Did he not like soccer and rugby?"

"Nah, he had no time for them 'foreign games'," she explained. "I mean he'd watch them yeah, on the telly, but not in an 'oh great, the soccer's on, stop what we are doing and pop it on' sort of way." She explained.

"So he didn’t follow a team?"

"Ireland in major tournaments, obviously, but his brother lived near Highbury as a young man, so Arsenal." Tom came to a halt. "What?"

"You had family in London?"

"Pretty much everyone in Ireland has someone who came over to work for a while."

"Where is he now?"

"New York."

"That's a far cry from a farm."

"Yeah, and the farce is he went all the way to America to marry a woman from Mayo." Danielle laughed.

"I am afraid that means nothing to me."

"Mayo is the county next to Galway, he went New York to marry a woman from seventy kilometres away," She explained, Tom laughed at that. "So yeah."

"Okay, that is very funny," Tom admitted. "So your parents, they would have been happy with me?"

"Well, since I am a short-arse, Dad would have been harping on about you giving any kids we have some height, important in a good hurler, and Mam would think you too thin."

"If it meant more food like yours I would have been happy enough." Tom chuckled, putting his arm around her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little sad I never got to tell them about you, to get to bring you over and show them that I am actually able to get a decent guy, that's all they wanted."

"I'm sorry, Darling."

"Don't be, they'd tell me to cop on to myself and be happy."

"It's done?"

"It's done." She smiled, extending her hand to him.

Tom looked at it for a moment, Danielle was never one to be overly affectionate in public in any manner, he had heard her scoff at people who were overly affectionate, but considering that she had just spoken of her parents, he knew she felt somewhat vulnerable and took her hand in his, bringing hers to his lips. "Are you scared of being seen?"

"It's a woods, besides, I am more scared of losing you for something so stupid as not showing you how much I care about you."

Tom's eyes lit up at her admission, insisting on having his hand in close proximity to hers for the rest of the walk when he was not holding it, close enough for her to feel it occasionally brush against it as they did so.

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Thomas, Happy Birthday to you."

Tom hid his face in his hands as everyone sang to him, his mum holding his shoulders as Danielle laughed as Tom's face began to redden. "You know what to do," She joked, "You've had enough of these things by now."

"Sarah, Elle's calling you old," He joked.

"Oi!" Sarah swatted Danielle, who laughed more.

"I did not!"

"I am older than him," She pointed out.

"Crap," Danielle commented. "Sorry."

"No, you're not," Emma whispered in her ear with a big smile.

"Shh," she giggled back.

Tom watched as they acted as they always had before the conflict before Christmas. "Can I eat this now? Mum, as usual, you bake the best cake."

"After you blow out the candles," His niece's tone was scolding.

"Of course, how silly of me. Will you help?"

"Because everyone loves saliva covered cake." Danielle laughed.

"She is just trying to help." Tom admonished.

"I am talking about you spitting and dribbling, old man," Danielle commented, as his sisters, their husbands and his mother laughed, Tom rose to his feet. "Eep." Danielle used that moment to scarper around to the other side of the table.

"Are you sorry?" He demanded, trying to get her to go around the table towards him.

"Not really, no." Danielle laughed while remaining on the far side of the table.

"Actual children." Emma scoffed.

"The five-year-old is more mature than the two of you combined," Sarah added, but the smile on her face showed how elated she was for her brother to finally appear to be genuinely happy.

"He started it." Danielle pointed to Tom.

"How did I start it, you are the one calling me old."

"You spent your morning looking for grey hairs and checking your hairline." She laughed.

"Right," Tom thought strategically for a moment and used Jack as a barricade to keep Danielle pinned while he took the other direction.

"What, no." Danielle used her small height to her advantage and slipped through the Brother-in-law barricade and rushed for the door. "Woohoo."

"How is she nearly thirty, no really, how is that woman your best friend?" Jack asked Emma who was too busy doubled over laughing at Tom who was still seemingly trying to compute how Danielle had gotten out. A moment later, her phone went off. From where he as standing, Jack could see the message, which he read aloud. "I win, someone owes me cake."

Tom stormed out of the room and towards the sitting room, having not heard Danielle go upstairs. "Where are you?"

"Not here." She replied, her tone light.

Looking around the door, he saw her looking at him cautiously. "You are a terror," he grinned, looking down at her from his far taller frame. "I am going to have to get you for that."

"But then you won't get your present." She threatened.

"I told you not to get me anything, the breakaway for Christmas was enough." He scolded. Danielle bit her lips together. "What is it?"

"You don't have to."

"Elle?" She pulled out an envelope from her pocket, folded over from bring shoved in there. "What is it?"

She handed it to him. "It's not Rome, and I don't have a private jet." He gave her a look to tell her to cease talking like that. "I just thought, after our conversation the other day."

He opened the envelope to see a small piece of paper inside, which contained two dates for after the Kong tour. "Where is Shannon?"

"An airport."

"Where?"

"Clare, Ireland."

"You want to bring me home with you?"

"I have no one to really show you to, well my aunts and them are there, but since you asked about all of that."

Tom looked at the paper in his hand and thought about it, a small smile coming to his face. "It's better than Rome."

"Okay, there's no need to lie, it's not but it's home," Danielle smiled.

"No, Elle. It is where you are from, I get to see what moulded you, it is better." He confirmed. "I cannot wait to see it."

"You were in Ireland before."

"Yes, the other side of the country, I always wanted to see the part of the country that inspired the great scholars there."

"You're in for a treat with Connemara and all that so, but we also have to go to West Cork."

"What's there?"

"My mam's lot."

"What are they like?"

"Nice, country stock as well, there's just one issue..."

"What?" Tom asked worriedly.

"Remember those two brothers that won the silver medals in rowing for Ireland in the last Olympics?"

"Yes," Tom looked at her, elongating the word as he spoke. "They are from around there, aren't they?"

"About forty minutes from my Mams."

"Wait, does everyone there speak like that?"

"Not usually as strong, but broadly similar."

"Oh God, this will be hilarious." Tom chuckled.

"They won't have a clue what you are saying."

"The feeling, I can assure you, is going to be mutual," He smiled, kissing her. "I am going to get you for the old man comments."

"After cake?"

"After cake," He confirmed before kissing her again.

"Euch!" they turned to see a disgusted face of regretful curiosity before the Duchess fled the room again. "They're kissing."

#I Hate You I Love You #chapter 76 #tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston fic #wolfpawn

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